


maybe won't you take it back? (you didn't mean to say, "i love you")

by comfortcrowd



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers (Quick Burn), Eventual Smut, F/F, Inspired by Gera's Step-Sister AU, Step-sisters AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2020-07-27 13:29:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 26,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20046811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comfortcrowd/pseuds/comfortcrowd
Summary: Josie's mother is engaged to Hope's father, and two girls who've grown to hate each other are now unwillingly becoming step siblings. Though Josie presumes that most step sisters don't look at each other the way she looks at Hope.





	1. it's not true, tell me i've been lied to

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [i'd give up forever to touch you](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7449658) by [geralehane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/geralehane/pseuds/geralehane). 

There aren’t many people that Josie could say she  _ hated _ . Disliked, maybe, but she’s always made a point of forgiving with time and moving forward. Mind you, no one has ever been as annoyingly present and arrogant as Hope Mikaelson. Her hatred towards the other girl started late into Josie’s junior year of school, when early mornings were spent tossing and turning and being forced to listen to the Hope’s unapologetically loud sex in the bedroom over. While Lizzie had called dibs on the larger of two bedrooms when the twins and their mother moved in, Josie was stuck on the other end of the house with Hope. 

Hope, whose bed began creaking at four in the morning on a Monday. Hope, who struggles to wake up early enough for school and shows up for only her afternoon classes. Hope, who stares at Josie with accusation and muted resentment when she stumbles into the house past curfew only to see Josie at the kitchen table completing extra assignments. And yet, with a sleep pattern so unfathomable to Josie, Hope has no problem staying  _ up  _ until four doing much more physically demanding activities than just waking up for school. On a Monday. With the bed squeaking to an unadulterated rhythm. Hope is lucky that the second semester has just started and that the classes were just beginning. 

Irritating loud sex at four in the morning aside, Josie feels happy in her new home -- if it can even be called a “home”. Not entirely a mansion and not entirely the quaint home Josie and her sister first grew up in, she still finds herself lost every few days after not paying attention to where she was turning, winding up in the grand library instead of the kitchen. The drive to Salvatore School is short and easy, and the Mystic Café is conveniently on the way as well. One of the only things that has changed for the worst is the stares around school. Students with their brows knitted together in confusion, talking in hushed whispers whenever she and Lizzie walk the halls. And while her blonde twin has always enjoyed the spotlight, walking with her head held high and a pep in her step, Josie struggles to swallow down the anxiety bubbling in the back of her throat telling her she should run.

“ _ Can you believe they’re Mikaelsons now _ ?” Josie heard someone say once. “ _ They aren’t going to last a month with those monsters. _ ”

Though she and Lizzie have had their fair share of arguments before, it wasn’t anything they couldn’t move past. She may have ended up in the hospital that one time, after Lizzie started to have a meltdown and shattered the glass of a window Josie was standing near, but at least Josie’s never had the displeasure of knowing what her twin sounds like when she comes.

(As infuriating as it is, Josie doubts she’d sound as good as Hope does.)

The thought makes her shudder -- the last thing she wants to do is start letting Hope’s antics get to her in any sort of matter -- so she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Josie rises from her large, new bed and cringes when Hope happily lets her know how amazing her new fucktoy is by moaning out louder than before. And even though everything about Hope makes Josie’s blood boil and her jaw clench, she has to admit that the noises her soon to be step-sister has been whimpering out makes her uncomfortable in a way that isn’t completely unpleasant. Hope isn’t too high-pitched or whiny like her bed partners are. She’s airy and raspy and speaks in a voice lower than her normal one and --

Josie takes another deep breath, this one much more ragged than the last.

Something crashes in Hope’s room, and Josie does a little prayer wishing that this means someone is finally calling it quits for what she can only assume is some much needed sleep, but a loud cry reassures her that both parties are very much awake and not ready to take a break just yet. 

As understanding and patient as Josie is, she still feels like all of this is unfair to her. She doesn’t really want to be living in this house, especially with Hope, and she doesn’t want her mom and Klaus only coming home from their trips to who knows where when it’s absolutely necessary, and she doesn’t want to only see her dad at school when he’s playing the role of Headmaster Saltzman. Maybe she could persuade her mother and Klaus to switch rooms with her, as all of the bedrooms on the second floor are similar in space and she’d be closer to Lizzie. It’s not like they use their bedroom with how frequently they’re on trips to help her dad find new recruits or whatever they do in Europe, months at a time. 

It’s too early to be getting ready for school, especially with her free period in the morning, so she opts to throwing on a hoodie and grabbing her phone off her bedside table before trudging downstairs to make herself a coffee. She can’t help but cringe inwardly when she passes by Hope’s bedroom to see the door slightly ajar and catches the sight of two bodies tangled together. Josie sighs as she begins brewing her first cup of coffee, making sure to add enough coffee grounds so that when Lizzie, Hope, and Hope’s “friend” eventually make their way downstairs there’s enough for them. While she waits, she scrolls through her phone to find a playlist with suitable music for a soft,  _ quiet _ morning. 

The beginnings of a piano melody plays through the speakers and Josie hums to herself while entering the pantry and grabbing necessary ingredients for pancakes, knowing they’re Lizzie’s favourite. With all this extra time, she figures it’s better to occupy herself with a mindless activity. 

It doesn’t take long for the pancake batter -- with semi-sweet chocolate chips, or else Lizzie won’t eat them -- to be ready, and Josie finds herself getting lost in the small routine of scooping the appropriate amount of batter onto the pan and waiting, flipping, waiting, plating. She makes two pancakes before another song fills the space around her, and Josie almost wants to thank Hope for waking her up with her persistent fucking. The little peace she finds in being consumed by the music and the smell of freshly made pancakes is almost worth being jolted awake at four in the morning and being forced to listen to Hope having sex. 

She’s putting the large plate of pancakes into the oven to keep them warm and scowling at the fact that she has nearly two hours before Lizzie is up when her step-sister ( _ almost step sister _ , she reminds herself) descends the stairs with a tall, handsome guy laughing at something he said. His hair is long and blonde and bitterly, Josie makes a mental note of the fact that Hope had sex with a guy who looks like the prince from  _ Shrek _ . Josie supposes she can’t be too unhappy since she luckily left her bedroom before she could hear their big finale. Irritation prickles Josie’s skin and she despises how the other girl manages to tick her off so easily. 

Josie doesn’t bother with exchanging names and pleasantries and opts to busy herself with the dishes that need to be washed instead. She listens while Hope politely (as politely as she is, which isn’t much) kicks the boy out. She’s carefully washing a knife that was left in the sink from the night before when Hope catches her eye, taking a seat on one of the bar stools in front of the sink. The auburn haired girl’s robe is tied loosely around her waist as though she doesn’t care if Josie can see much if not all of her chest. Her hair is mussed and light blue eyes sparkle mischievously. Josie is torn between envy and annoyance at the fact that the girl sitting across from her is so contently fucked. She makes it look so good, too.

She tears her gaze away when her eyes stray dangerously over the skin unhidden by the robe, covered with red and purple marks that are slowly fading due to Hope’s werewolf healing. Josie blushes a little at the thought of someone claiming the other girl like that and  _ this  _ is ruining what had started to become an okay morning. 

Josie had tried to be kind to the other girl when they were younger, and they were almost friends -- well, almost…  _ something _ . The brunette isn’t naive enough to believe Hope keeps anyone who isn’t family very close, but she also couldn’t help roll her eyes at the irony that now, they  _ were  _ family. It still changed nothing between them. 

She turns off the tap and dries off her hands before grabbing another plate from the cabinet and cutlery from the drawer, moving around the kitchen before taking two pancakes from the oven and handing them over to Hope silently. Before Hope can thank her -- not that Josie thinks she ever would -- the brunette is moving back into the pantry to get the other girl a bottle of syrup and placing it on the counter. 

“Coffee’s on the stove,” Josie states before finally taking a sip of her own for the first time this morning, and  _ of course it’s cold _ , because it seems that wherever Hope enters, Josie’s happiness leaves. And she knows it’s irrational to blame the older girl for her cold coffee, but she’s sure that she could find a reasonable excuse for why it makes sense.

The girl in question looks almost grateful before her face hardens and she gives a short nod instead. “Sorry if we woke you up.” Her tone and small smirk tells Josie that she’s anything but sorry.

Josie doesn’t feel bad about blaming Hope for her cold coffee anymore.

“It’s fine,” Josie lies lamely. “Gave me a chance to make pancakes for Lizzie before I have to get ready.”

Hope just mumbles in reaffirmation while chewing. She gets up slowly, not caring that her robe was sliding off her shoulder, and walks towards the pot of coffee to fix herself a cup. Josie choses to stare at her own cup of coffee that she holds in her hand, front leaning against the edge in front of the sink, instead of eyeing the expanse of skin on Hope’s back. Josie swallows hard when she thinks of possible marks the other girl has there, too.

Josie deliberates before she decides to make a dangerous statement. “Penelope’s coming over tonight, so try not to bring home someone too loud.”

“ _ Penelope _ ?” Hope questions, almost accusingly.

“Yes.” Josie keeps her eyes glued to her coffee and awaits for the other girl to say something that will no doubt sting. 

There’s a long pause while the auburn haired girl takes a large sip from her coffee cup. “Lizzie’s going to kill you.”

“She’s at a party tonight.”

“So you’re going behind her back.”

Josie doesn’t respond right away -- both her and Hope know the answer. If Lizzie knew that Josie’s ex-girlfriend was coming over to “talk”, a fight would surely ensue. Hope takes the silence as an answer and surprises the younger girl by promising, “I won’t say anything to her.”

She turns around and sees Hope already looking at her, and Josie can’t help the faint blush across her cheeks. She goes to leave the other girl with her coffee and stops before the staircase to mutter a soft, “Thank you.”

When she gets out of the shower and is ready for a quick pit stop at Mystic Café before walking to school, the plates are cleaned and placed in the drying rack and the pot of coffee is empty.

Walking over to the little table by the front door, Josie grabs her keys and wallet from the decorative bowl and makes her way out of the house, making sure to lock the door before eagerly walking towards her second coffee of the day.


	2. let someone see right through

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: this is strictly hosie  
also me: ,,, tiny dose of posie

Josie has always appreciated the walks to and from the school for different reasons. On the way to school, she gets to wear her earbuds and let the lyrics wash over her, enjoy the mundane things like iced coffee and the dogs going for walks by her. And sometimes, when the days stretch out and get closer to summer, the smell of rain from the night before still lingers in the air and Josie breathes in as much as she can.

On the way home, she lets herself unwind a little since the stresses of school are mostly behind her. Lizzie walks with her home most days and it’s a good opportunity to get caught up on whatever happened for the hour or so total that she and her twin spent away from each other. Today, her twin explains frantically that two vampires were caught making out behind the main utility shed and one of them fed on the other, and “Josie, how  _ gross  _ is that?”

The brunette snaps out of her daydream at the sound of her name and makes a face in disgust, playing along with her sister. “So gross.”

Her favourite part of the walks are that they are completely, utterly Hope Mikaelson free. One of the only times in her life that she’s free of her evil soon-to-be step sister, really, and there’s something wonderful about being as far away from Hope as possible. 

“Also, Satan got into a pissing match with the Prodigal Daughter during Advanced Civics and  _ of course  _ Our Lord And Saviour got off with a warning from dad because he’s so far up her as--”

“--  _ Lizzie _ ,” Josie scolds, trying to stifle a laugh at her sister’s antics. 

The blonde shrugs it off with a wide smile and nudges Josie with her shoulder, “You know I’m right, Jo.”

“It’s a shame I’ll never admit that, isn’t it?” Josie teases.

When they arrive home, Hope’s car absent from its usual spot on the driveway and Josie smiles a little more to herself now, happy that her day will be a little more Hope-free than usual. The conversation quiets naturally and the twins go through their routines in silence, both going to their respective rooms. Lizzie to scroll aimlessly through a few different social medias before getting ready for the party, and Josie to organizing the papers she’d be working on later and triple-checking with Penelope the time she’d be coming over.

By six o’clock Lizzie shouts across the hall that she’s leaving, not bothering to ask if Josie is sure she doesn’t want to go, already knowing the answer. Josie even manages to squeeze in some extra spell practice after siphoning magic from her bedroom wall (another perk of moving into the new house with two of the most powerful supernatural beings to exist). Her mood elevates even higher when she emerges from her shower, fresh and squeaky clean, and she’s surprised to find herself swaying subconsciously to a song playing from her phone. 

Suddenly overcome with desire to listen to her new playlist before getting ready, she reaches for her phone, only to find it isn’t there. She must have left it on the kitchen counter downstairs, or on the coffee table in the living room when she was looking for the book of practice spells. Usually, Josie would be fine leaving it there for a moment and singing absentmindedly to herself instead, but she worries if Lizzie or Penelope texts her and she misses it. She sighs and throws on a pair of underwear, not bothering with anything else when all she’s doing is going downstairs and back. The house is quiet, so she assumes that Hope isn’t home yet. She ponders the fact that she was so quickly conditioned to think “quiet” equals “no Hope”.

She pads to the stairwell, lazily toweling her hair dry and looking down at her feet as she walks, careful to not trip while she multitasks. It’s only thanks to her fast reflexes, fostered through the handful of sparring sessions with Klaus, that she manages to grab onto the rail and not tumble down the stairs when she hears someone gasp. Well, this serves as a reminder that being conditioned to think something doesn’t necessarily make it true. Exhibit A: Hope standing on the middle of stairs and gaping at her, both of them surrounded by complete silence save for Josie’s thumping heart. Her towel drops to the floor as her hand goes slack with shock and her only salvation is gone.

She nearly curses at herself for being so dumb. “Quiet” doesn’t equal “no Hope” in the slightest, apparently.

Hope’s blue eyes are wide and her jaw is slacked as she watches the towel drop to the floor in a dull thud, the little noise sounding much louder against the dead silence that stood between the two girls. Hope’s gaze moves from the towel at Josie’s feet to her long legs, slowly and shamelessly drinking her in, appreciating the tan that Josie has been getting from the warm Virginia spring. Josie can feel the colour that burns her cheeks and her chest with embarrassment, upset with how vulnerable she’s made herself in this moment. 

Quickly, Josie bends down to grab the towel and cover herself from Hope but as soon as she does, the other girl sucks in a sharp breath and when Josie’s eyes dart to hers, she sees that the older girl has her bottom lip between her teeth and her eyes blown wide with  _ something _ and Josie shudders thinking about the place Hope’s mind went to.

“Can you turn around or something?” Josie snaps, attempting to pull the both of them out of the daze they were in and sobering them.

Hope doesn’t move, her feet planted and breaths coming in shallow and ragged, and this is too much attention from a person she doesn’t want any from. She wants the carpet to open and swallow her up whole, ending the moment indefinitely. She wants a lot of things, for a girl who doesn’t ask for much, but the top of her list at the moment is to never see Hope Mikaelson ever again.

“ _ Hope _ ,” Josie nearly begs, and she feels a loud gulp from the other girl at the way she says her name, and it feels like everything Josie is doing at the moment is wrong.

For the first time ever, Hope listens to her, and almost begrudgingly spins around so Josie can bring the towel to her chest and feel a little less exposed to the girl she hates. Hope is tense, her hand in a fist so tight Josie can see the white of her knuckles, and before either of them can say anything to diffuse the situation or piss the other person off, the doorbell rings.

“I’m going upstairs to change. Don’t pick a fight with her,” Josie says pointedly, her lips turned downwards in a little frown at the thought of Hope opening the front door for Penelope. 

Hope’s fist unclenches and she rolls her eyes, muttering under her breath that it was the stuck up witch’s fault anyways, but Josie doesn’t have enough time to fight with Hope about every literal decision the older girl makes, so she hastily makes her way upstairs and to her bedroom to throw on the clothes she laid out for herself before the shower. They lay there and it’s almost like they taunt her.  _ I should’ve put on the stupid shirt _ , she thinks sourly.

She can hear the muffled conversation between the two girls downstairs and it motivates her to get dressed faster, pushing the last few minutes’ activities out of her head to worry about Penelope getting punched instead. 

Josie clambers down the stairs breathless and Penelope and Hope look towards her. Penelope looks at the auburn haired girl one last time with disdain before giving a small smile to Josie. Her eyes lose the anger they once had and soften, warm and green and welcoming. Josie glances from the raven haired girl to Hope and stiffens when their eyes meet for the first time since the younger of the two ran upstairs. There’s an unfamiliar look in Hope’s blue eyes that makes Josie feel uneasy.

“We can go to my room,” Josie explains to Penelope with a sharpness in her voice, eyes narrowing on Hope.

Hope raises an eyebrow curiously.

Josie clears her throat. “To  _ talk _ .”

It’s only when she’s back upstairs sitting cross-legged on her bed when she realizes she completely forgot about her phone downstairs, but she lets it go knowing that if Lizzie needed anything both MG and Rafael were at the party. 

Penelope is lounged out on Josie’s bed, her arms splayed out above her head and feet crossed at the ankles. Her shirt pulls up a little because of her pose and Josie can’t stop the little shiver that runs down her back when she sees the tiny sliver of exposed skin.

“So, I know you’ve been wanting to learn a silencing spell you can put over Hope’s room without her knowing, but I was betting on her going to that party tonight,” Penelope explains lazily, closing her eyes for a second and stretching out across the bed like a cat.

Josie looks up from the spell book she has open and her brows crease in thought. The fact of the matter is that a simple silencing spell is easily traceable and not entirely necessary. She wants to try to link a noise or ( _ god help her _ ) a  _ smell _ to an object that will activate the spell to ensure that if anyone calls for Hope downstairs or for any reason that the auburn haired girl notices that her room is spelled, she can’t just take it down without finding the right object. It’s a smart way to go about things, though it means having the assistance of another witch to help her with such a particular spell. Lizzie and most of the other witches are at the party, and even though she and Penelope aren’t in the best place, her ex-girlfriend has motive behind her actions — making her work a little harder with Josie to figure out the complications of this spell. She never thought she and her ex would bond so easily over their shared hatred for Hope Mikaelson.

Penelope rolls onto her stomach and pushes herself on her elbows so she can face the brunette better. “You never told me why you want this spell done, Jo Jo.”

“You never asked,” Josie purses her lips before resuming her spot in the book, her fingers toying with the top corner of the page while she reads.

“ _ Jo _ ,” Penelope pushes, her hand moving to splay over the page Josie was reading so the brunette has to look at her. “Consider this me asking.”

“She’s been, uh,” Josie starts before blushing at having to say the next part aloud, “Having very loud, uh, sex almost every night, and I uh, I don’t--”

“--a silencing spell  _ isn’t  _ how you get back at Hope,” Penelope cuts her off, a devious glint in her eyes that Josie knows is bad news from a year of experience. She doesn’t have enough time to tell her ex that it’s not about getting back at her soon-to-be step sister, just that she doesn’t want to hear Hope’s conquests, before Penelope’s hand that was previously on the book is moving agonizingly slowly towards Josie’s arm before settling there. Her thumb brushes along the inside of Josie’s wrist and she looks up at the brunette expectantly. 

Josie’s a smart girl. She prides herself on her grades and her work ethic, knowing that she’s one of the smartest students at her school. However, she’s also not afraid to admit that she has made numerous bad decisions that were not well thought out and completely irrational, most of them due to a pretty girl batting her eyelashes and urging Josie along. The pretty girl in question has always been Penelope, and Josie almost always regrets what they do. 

“Or it’s exactly how to get back at Hope,” Josie replies, her voice squeaky and lost somewhere along with her rationality and clear head. 

The other girl’s smirk is a wide, wicked grin, and Josie knows where this has the potential to go.  _ So _ , she thinks to herself,  _ either diffuse the situation or embrace it _ .

“You know we can’t,” she says, her voice found and confidence present, though wavering. “Lizzie will be home later, and her and Hope will kill us.”

“Why would Hope be mad?” Penelope asks, pushing more. Her hand leaves Josie’s wrist and slowly trails up until she’s cupping the brunette’s face, thumb brushing under Josie’s eye. Penelope makes a point of moving closer so the other girl can feel her breath when she speaks into her ear. “Why don’t we give her a show?”

It’s at that moment that Josie distantly remembers that she never closed her bedroom door when the two of them entered her room, and that if Hope walked by on the way to her own bedroom, she’d no doubt get a show. The thought of light blue eyes taking her in earlier this afternoon crosses Josie’s mind and she feels goosebumps form along her arms. When she looks at the doorway, it’s empty of auburn hair and blue eyes, and Josie swallows down her guilt.

“I finally bought a copy of  _ Love, Simon  _ we can watch instead,” Josie says, moving to get a little more space between her and Penelope before moving off the bed entirely.

She hears Penelope’s frustrated huff but chooses to ignore it, going to set up the DVD player and make popcorn in the kitchen downstairs instead. When she reaches the kitchen, Hope is organizing her paints in their case and looks up to see Josie. The girl pats around to grab a bag of popcorn to pop, some extra butter and salt for afterwards, and a big bowl to put all of the contents in. She doesn’t make an effort to smile or start friendly conversation with Hope.

To rub salt in Josie’s wound after unsuccessfully working on the spell, Hope has another loud partner over as soon as Penelope leaves. The rhythmic sound of the bedpost against the wall is there again but this time, there’s a soft accompanying buzz, which leaves much to Josie’s imagination as she stares at her ceiling.

When her hand dips past her panties, she reassures herself that she’s imagining Penelope’s fingers, not Hope’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> follow me on tumblr @alessjune!


	3. i’m in your arms in central park

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> take a shot every time i write “groceries”

The morning is much quieter than yesterday. Hope’s partner was only over for a couple hours and left before Josie woke up at around ten, and for that she’s grateful. When she passes the other girl’s room, her door is open and empty, leaving no evidence of the night before. Josie walks further down the hall to Lizzie’s room and knocks twice on her door before opening it, peaking to see how her sister’s doing after a night of drinking. All she can see is blonde locks splayed out on her pillow, her face covered by blankets and her comforter, and the slow rise and fall as she breathes. 

The kitchen is empty as well, which leaves Josie to assume that Hope is gone this morning, probably working with Josie’s father on whatever troubles have arisen at school. She’s pleasantly surprised to see a pot of coffee already brewed and pours herself a cup, adding two sugars and some milk. 

She grabs a glass of water and searches the medicine bin in the pantry for Advil and takes out two, carrying the pills and water back upstairs to Lizzie’s room, leaving the glass on her sister’s bedside table and the pills beside the glass. 

Her phone buzzes when she closes Lizzie’s door behind her as she leaves, and she checks to see any messages. Her eyebrows raise in surprise when she reads who it’s from.

**Hope Mikaelson,10:23am**

_ Getting groceries. Need anything? _

Josie thinks about it for a moment before writing back and pocketing her phone. She goes back downstairs and grabs her coffee off the counter before moving to the left wing of the first floor she doesn’t venture to very often. The hall leads to three doors. The first is Klaus and Hope’s art room, that Josie has only gone in once, back when they first moved in and her mother needed Klaus for something and Josie had to find him. The door across from it is the sparring room. Other than the few classes she had with Klaus before he and her mother left, she hasn’t had much reason to go in there. Sometimes she’ll hear Hope in there after a particularly frustrating day when, Josie supposes, sex isn’t enough. The door at the end of the hall leads to the backyard, which other than Josie’s own bedroom, is her favourite part of the house.

The backyard is large and well kept due to the gardeners Klaus hired the first day he had moved from New Orleans to Mystic Falls. There’s a garden along the outside of the house full of different types of flowers, both supernatural and not, that are neatly organized in rows and columns. The grass is a little damp and uncomfortable on the bottom of Josie’s feet, but she smiles nonetheless at the beauty of the flowers and the two large apple trees near the right side of the fence.

She walks forward instead, opting to go into the greenhouse that fits snuggly in the left corner. Josie isn’t sure anyone but her and the gardeners have been in here, other than when her family has had to get her for whatever reasons. When she first moved in, just over three months ago, one of the gardners saw her interest in the rather run down greenhouse and offered to help fix it up with her assistance, and Josie has happily had a project to work on with her spare time.

The greenhouse is home to young tomato, rosemary, and basil plants. There’s also a small pot with a little vervain plant, and beside it a slightly bigger pot with wolfsbane. She only uses those two when she requires them in a spell, and it makes her uneasy to be handling such dangerous plants that could harm three fifths of the people who live in her home. There is a wooden bench on the right wall that Josie decorated with a few outdoor throw pillows so it wouldn’t hurt as much when she was sitting there for too long. She happily connects her phone to the speaker system that runs through the greenhouse and music plays.

She keeps a few books here, all strictly there for pleasure, giving herself some time away from spells and potions and magic. She feels a little more normal in this greenhouse, and it’s a welcomed feeling. Though Josie has always loved being a witch, she does wonder how different her life would be if she didn’t have powers and went to a normal high school. She picks up the book she’s been reading through and flips to the page.

It’s not long before Josie’s mug is empty and her head hurts slightly from reading for too long. She checks her phone for the time, and sees that it’s nearly noon. She has a text from Lizzie.

**Lizzie Saltzman, 11:46am**

_ Legs r dead, don’t wanna find u _

**Lizzie Saltzman, 11:47am**

_ Brunch? _

Josie smiles and grabs her coffee cup before leaving the greenhouse. She texts back even though she’ll see her sister in a matter of moments.

**Josie Saltzman, 11:55am**

_ only if you’re paying _

  


Mystic Grill is fairly busy due to the time and the day, and it takes a couple minutes before a waitress leads the twins to their seats. The bustling of other families enjoying their time together and waitresses picking up and dropping off orders gives a sense of clarity to Josie. All these families and friends, wrapped up in their own lives and their own thoughts. It’s comforting whenever she can be in the same place as normal humans and blend in properly without feeling out of place.

A waitress who looks to be about Josie and Lizzie’s age takes their order, the blonde twin ordering enough food for the two of them all for herself. When the waitress leaves, Lizzie looks to her sister expectantly, and Josie knows the role she has to play now that most of her twin’s hangover disappeared after her third glass of water.

“How was the party?” Josie asks, taking a sip from her iced tea.

Lizzie smiles widely, happy to talk about her evening. “Rafael and I kissed, and like, I know that we’ve been on and off for awhile now and I said that thing about his dead girlfriend that was sort of insensitive, but I _ really _think we might work out.”

The brunette nods along, listening to her sister’s thoughts but not too interested.

“_ Jo _, like, we might be endgame,” Lizzie confesses, her smile even larger than before. 

“What?” Josie questions. The waitress is back with a few plates of food. Josie’s french toast, bacon, and hashbrowns on one and Lizzies pancakes, sausage, hashbrowns, bacon, and eggs on the other two. The conversation is momentarily stopped as they organize their plates and thank their waitress.

Lizzie has the intense look in her eye that scares Josie a little. It’s the look Lizzie has when she gets something in her head that she can’t shake or move past easily. “We’re _ endgame _.”

“First of all, you sound insane, Lizzie,” Josie says, shaking her head. “Second of all, nobody says that seriously.”

Her twin takes a large bite of her pancakes and rolls her eyes. “Just because you’ve never had an epic love story doesn’t mean I can’t,” she says with a mouthful of food. 

Josie cringes a little and solemnly uses her fork to push around her hashbrowns. As much as she wants her sister to be wrong, she knows Lizzie isn’t. Nothing has clicked into place the way they do in the books she reads in her greenhouse, no one has knocked on her door with a bouquet of flowers or held a boombox over their head in her front yard. She thought she had found a love story in Penelope, but instead she had a chance to learn. Penelope taught her to hold her head a little higher, think more for herself than her sister at times, and to always be cautious. In the back of her mind, she still thinks that in the future, she and the raven haired girl might fall back into each other -- but not if Lizzie insists on calling Penelope “Satan” and the two of them always butting heads. “If you say so,” Josie shrugged.

The rest of the meal is spent talking about other things, like when their mother will be back, and what role each of them might be getting in the wedding. Lizzie makes a comment stating that if Hope is one of Caroline’s bridesmaids, Lizzie will kill the older girl. Josie makes sure not to admit that she thinks that if Hope will be involved in any way, that will be it. Lizzie also vents passionately about the lack of time the family has actually had together, and that she needs a drink.

Josie shrinks in on herself when she hears the last part. Her sister knows that she isn’t keen on the thought of drinking. Not when her family constantly tells her how much like her dad she is, and not with how turbulent his relationship with alcohol is. Lizzie tells her to relax, that it’s just a saying, but Josie can’t shake the heaviness in her chest.

  


When they get home, Hope’s car is parked on the driveway and as the twins walk by, Josie notices the girl asleep in the driver’s seat. She stops in front of the window and taps twice to wake the other girl up, Lizzie rolling her eyes and continuing her way into the house.

Hope’s eyes open groggily and she rolls the window down when she sees Josie standing outside the car. 

“What are you doing?” Josie questions, her brows furrowing in confusion.

The other girl sighs, rolling her head side to side and stretching it out. “Having a nap.”

“No I know…” the brunette trails off, frustrated with Hope’s deadpan reply. “Why are you having a nap _ here _.”

“Didn’t bring a house key with me.”

Josie struggles to keep her temper under control, growing more and more annoyed with the girl in front of her. She reaches out and opens the car door, gesturing for Hope to get out. “Help me with the groceries in the trunk,” Josie tells Hope before walking away.

When the auburn haired gets out of the car, she stumbles a little and Josie swears she hears the other girl _ giggle _. Josie pauses and watches Hope catch her balance by placing her hand on the side of the car. Her face is flushed, a content smirk on her lips.

“Like what you see?” She asks the younger girl.

Josie falters for a second, her eyes dipping towards the other girls low cut shirt and blown out eyes. She doesn’t mean for her reply to sound so accusatory. “Are you drunk?” 

Hope raises her free hand and indicates with her fingers that she’s just a little, seemingly enjoying how tightly wound the younger girl is getting. She walks to the end of the car beside Josie, leaving no space between them. Her front brushes against Josie’s side and Josie’s body erupts in goosebumps. “I was waiting for you to get home. Bought some whiskey for dad, figured I’d keep myself busy.”

“You can still help with the bags.”

Hope tilts her head, and Josie can feel the other girl drinking her in. It feels a lot like yesterday’s staircase incident. She has way more clothing on than that time, but still can’t help but feel exposed under the older girl’s curious gaze. “I can help with a lot of things,” Hope claims suggestively.

Josie moves her head so she can look at the other girl better. Their noses nearly touch as the brunette looks slightly downwards. She watches Hope’s eyes glance at Josie’s lips, and Hope licks her own. The younger girl can’t help but watch her movements. She almost forgets what she’s doing and crumbles under Hope’s steady blue eyes. 

“I’m not one of your conquests.” It’s a miracle that her voice doesn’t waver.

Hope’s voice is raspy and low, and Josie thinks back to the numerous nights she’s heard it just like this, begging and teasing and moaning to her partners. “I never said you were.”

Josie swallows hard. Her eyes watch Hope’s lips one last time before she takes a step away from the other girl. “Good.”

The other girl takes another step forward, and they’re back at where they started. Instead of waiting for any indication of a fight or more conversation, Hope’s hands move swiftly and grab the back of Josie’s neck, and their lips meet harshly. Her tongue seeks entrance almost immediately, and Josie’s too shocked to do anything but let the other girl take the lead.

One of Hope’s hands move to Josie’s hip and tightens almost possessively, causing the brunette to instinctively lean into Hope’s front more.

She’s kissing her step sister on the driveway in broad daylight. And her lips are warm and so very soft against her own. Hope’s movements are direct and purposeful, and Josie feels completely off-kilter and out of her comfort zone.

When Josie finally pulls away, she watches as Hope steadies herself, eyes still closed, her tongue licking her lips. It moves slowly, like she’s still trying to taste Josie on them. Her lips are wet and puffy from the kiss, and Josie touches her own lips feeling hers in a similar state. 

Every part of her body tells her to abandon the groceries and hide in the safety of her bedroom. Lizzie could have seen some if not all of that, and Josie isn’t going to let the person she hates ruin their parents’ marriage before it’s even started. When she speaks, her voice is low with arousal, betraying her, but it’s also mixed with malice. “This was a mistake.”

All that Hope does is shrug and take a step back, no longer touching Josie. The brunette’s jaw clenches and she watches Hope’s movements. She looks much more fluid with her motions, like the kiss sobered her up.

“I don’t think so, but whatever helps you sleep at night, _ cutie _,” the auburn haired girl quips, a loose smirk toying on her lips. When she notices the rigidness of the younger girl, her smile grows. “We still need to move these groceries. I think I forgot to tell you about the ice cream I bought.” 

Both Hope and Josie move quickly to gather the grocery bags and put them in the kitchen for Hope to unload. When the older girl begins to place food in the fridge and Josie watches her from behind the kitchen island, Hope speaks up again. “Your birthday is coming up.”

Josie’s eyes widen a little in surprise, not thinking that the other girl would remember. 

Hope continues, “I saw it on the family calendar Caroline made us download.” She closes the fridge and spins back around to face Josie. “What are you doing for it?”

“Lizzie wanted a big party, so we’re hosting in the main hall at school.” 

The other girl’s brow raises in question and _ god she needs to stop doing that _ , Josie thinks to herself. The shiver that runs down her body completely involuntary as she watches Hope. “And what do _ you _want, Josie?”

Josie’s brows furrow in confusion. 

“You said that the party is what Lizzie wants,” Hope explains, gradually moving towards the younger girl. “So, what do _ you _ want for your birthday?” 

They’re as close as they were when they — Josie bites her lip and her eyes look down to Hope’s lips. They _ kissed _. And now Hope is asking what she wants for her birthday, and all Josie can concentrate on is the delicate curves and pale colour of Hope’s lips.

“_ Hope _,” Josie mutters, her voice catching in her throat as she watches the way the other girl hums in response. Watches how Hope’s smirk makes her feel like the girl’s next big hunt. And Josie can’t tear her eyes away from Hope, afraid that everything will go back to normal if she does. 

It’s like Hope can hear Josie thinking, and puts her hands back on Josie’s hips like earlier. The brunette relishes in how the hands feel like they should belong on her hips. Her breath is hot against Josie’s ear and the younger girl lets out a small whimper at the sensation. “Let me do something with you for your birthday.”

Josie’s mind immediately goes to an inappropriate place and arousal builds. All she can do is nod and stifle a moan when Hope talks again. 

“You’ve been so tightly wound at school. It must be hard being such a _ good girl _.”

“_ Hope _.”

The auburn haired girl hums in response before her mouth moves slightly lower, stopping right under Josie’s jaw. Her nose presses into the soft spot of the brunette’s skin before warm lips replace it, and Josie’s hands fly up to Hope’s shoulders. She can feel the older girl begin to pull at the skin and she lets out an airy moan. 

“Hope, please.”

Teeth scrape the skin Hope is pulling on before she lets it go finally, kissing over the assaulted area tenderly. She pulls back and has a glint of something unreadable in her eyes, similar to the look she had during the stairwell accident. Josie nearly cries when Hope moves away from her completely. “How about a movie on Friday? We’ll leave at 6:00.”

And the moment is gone, Hope smiling before walking upstairs to her room, and Josie is left a panting mess in the middle of the kitchen.


	4. maybe we should just try

Josie covers the small hickey on her neck for four days before it fades, and every time she applies the concealer and foundation she contemplates what the repercussions will be if she leaves it out for others to see. 

She doubts Lizzie will figure out who actually gave her the bruise. If anything, her twin will assume that she and Penelope rekindled for a night, and the thought of hiding behind her ex girlfriend causes a pang of guilt to settle at the bottom of her stomach. 

She kissed her step sister.  _ Almost _ step sister. Josie feels that the clarification is necessary, especially for her own sanity at the moment. Because an  _ almost _ , she can live with. An  _ almost _ means that there’s no law telling her what she’s doing is dirty and wrong. Without that  _ almost _ , she’s jeopardizing her mother’s marriage before it’s even begun.

Josie Saltzman is many things, but none of them is selfish. She stays awake for many nights before the... ( _ date?)  _ whatever it is she and Hope are doing, contemplating whether or not she should go. She could easily stand Hope up, tell her that whatever they have started is wrong, but for some reason, she keeps going back to the same idea.

Is it so wrong of her to go after something for herself? She’s listened to Penelope beg her to make her own decisions, live her own life, be a little  _ selfish _ .

Hope Mikaelson is a girl she hated for years. Since Josie fell too hard and got too scared for the auburn haired girl, since she did the selfish thing and went after what she wanted and regretted it right after. So Josie does what she did when she was thirteen and vulnerable; she hides. She avoids Hope until Friday and prays that the other girl doesn’t notice. Hope’s bedroom is eerily quiet and Josie doesn’t let herself overthink why the older girl wouldn’t have any “friends” over.

And then Friday rolls around, and Josie is forced to make a decision. She spends nearly half an hour trying to pick what to wear and pays a little more attention to her makeup and hair than normal.

She reassures herself that it’s just two friends ( _ almost _ step sisters) going out to the movies. There’s nothing to be nervous about. When they were little and she and Lizzie would visit Hope in New Orleans, they’d run off and do things together all the time. Mind you, it was usually to play tag or hide-and-seek in the large Mikaelson mansion, but it still counts for Josie. 

Her door opens slowly and she spins from her spot in front of her mirror, watching as Hope peeks her head in. She can’t tell for certain, but she swears the other girl looks just as nervous as her.

“Hey,” Josie greets shyly. She grabs her wallet off her vanity and puts it in her jacket pocket.

Hope is wearing a leather jacket and burgundy top, the shirt low dipped and suggestive. It’s paired with black jeans, and they fit tight around her thighs and it makes Josie’s mouth dry. Josie also feels like the show of cleavage is definitely intentional, and isn’t helping her figure out what it is the two of them are doing.

The auburn haired girl offers a barely there smile. She lets herself into Josie’s room and they’re finally face to face after days of the younger girl avoiding Hope.

“I just need to grab my phone and I’m ready to go,” Josie explains, walking back to her bed to grab her phone that was charging. 

“You covered the mark,” Hope states.

Josie looks up from her phone but can’t figure out an emotion behind the other girl. Hope looks bored, honestly, and it’s her nonchalant attitude that made it so easy for Josie to hate her in the first place. Josie isn’t nonchalant; she has big plans, and cares too much, and loves too hard. “It didn’t feel appropriate to show off.”

Hope nods slowly, as if taking in what the other girl said. “Next time, show them off.”

The brunette’s breath is caught in her throat and her eyes narrow at Hope. “There shouldn’t  _ be  _ a next time.”

Hope’s eyebrow raises and takes a step forward. For someone a few inches shorter than her, Hope still intimidates Josie more than she cares to admit. “But do you  _ want _ a next time?”

Josie pauses and finally takes in the girl in front of her. Her hair neatly styled, outfit nice but not too dressy -- Hope wants this as much as she does, she figures, or the auburn haired girl wouldn’t have put a little more effort into her appearance like Josie did. 

“I… yeah, I do,” Josie admits softly, and she feels her cheeks go red in colour.

Hope smiles at her, wide and welcoming, and it makes Josie’s heart flutter. “Then let’s get going, I wouldn’t want us to be late on our first date.”

  
  


There’s only one movie theatre in Mystic Falls and it’s a small little thing with only four screens, but teens usually fill it on Friday and Saturday nights. Because of the  _ Movie In The Park _ program going on during the week, the theatre is desolate except for maybe six other people, three of them working their shifts.

Josie is excited for what seems to be a normal, nothing out of the ordinary date with Hope Mikaelson. Which sounds impossible, given her last name, but Josie is hopeful and buzzing with excitement. 

Her good mood falters for a second when she spots someone already in line when they enter, a frown forming on her face almost immediately. 

The girl in question turns around and waves, two of her friends with her in line looking her direction but not caring enough to greet her. 

“Hey, Jo Jo,” Penelope greets coyly, a small smile toying her lips.

Josie smiles back politely, sensing Hope tense a little beside her. “Hi. What movie are you seeing?”

They make small talk for a little, and Josie keeps glancing towards Hope to see how she’s doing. Her hands are buried in her pockets and a scowl is on her face.

“So I see you tamed the dog for a bit,” Penelope teases, her hand falling to rest on Josie’s arm flirtingly.

Josie glances worriedly in Hopes direction again, but she’s walked a couple feet away to order their snacks. “Uh, yeah, I guess I did.”

The raven haired girl laughs, though Josie isn’t sure what she said that was so funny. “Is she still sex crazed and the worst thing ever?” Penelope questions, giving a loose smile.

“No, no she’s pretty great, actually. Hasn’t had anyone over in a while,” Josie smiles to herself, watching Hope order their food and tickets while she talks. 

“So are you guys a thing?” Penelope asks, a bite in her question. She looks pissed and Josie is quick to diffuse the situation.

“Oh, uh, no. No, she’s my step sister, and I’m not going to be her next play thing or anything. We’re just friends.” The lie slides off Josie’s lips easily and she sees Hope walking back, two movie tickets, sour candy, and a large pop in her hands. 

Penelope doesn’t seem to buy it. “If you can’t beat her, join her, I guess?”

Hope stops beside Josie, handing her one of the tickets and the candy to hold on to. Her eyes flicker over the raven haired girl’s hand on Josie and frowns. “ _ Penelope _ ,” she greets sharply.

“Hope.”

Josie winces a little, watching the two girls face off with each other. She can see how tense and upset Hope is, though she isn’t sure why. “Well, we have a movie to go see, so…”

The pair walks away, and when they enter their theatre, Josie notices how there’s only two other people there so far. The lights on the wall are still on their brightest setting and she can easily see Hope beside her as they pick their seats. 

The older girl finally speaks up, “Can we go to the washroom before we get settled in our seats?”

Josie nods. It’s a smart idea, and she doesn’t want to miss any of the movie when it starts. They put the drink and food down to mark their seats and Josie takes one quick sip of pop before they leave.

She begins to follow the auburn haired girl out of the theatre room, but Hope reaches out and pulls Josie along with her back into the lobby, moving at a quicker pace.

Hope nearly drags Josie into the washrooms, hand tight around the brunette’s wrist. When they enter, Hope ducks down to see under the stalls and checks if anyone else is around.

“Hope, what are you doing?” Josie asks, watching the other girl move back to the entrance and lock the door with a solid  _ click _ . 

When Josie finally sees Hope’s eyes when she turns around, they’re blown wide with arousal. “No, what are  _ you  _ doing, Josie?”

“I- what?” Josie’s brows furrow in confusion, and Hope takes a few steps forward, leaving only a foot or so of space between them.

“You act like you’re so much better than me, like the fact that I bring people home instead of settling down like you and  _ Penelope _ makes me less than,” Hope snarls.

Josie’s eyes widen. That’s not what she was implying at all when she and Penelope were talking before. “No I—“

“— But you’re afraid, right? Because perfect little Josie has it bad for evil Hope, and it’s easier to say I started this than you living with the fact that you want this as bad as I do.”

Josie pauses, watching Hope realize what she admitted before Josie takes a step forward herself so that there’s no space between them, and she can feel the hot breath from the other girl. “I’m not afraid.”

She watches as Hope opens her mouth to say something but decides against it, closing it tightly and clenching her jaw. Josie feels small under the older girl’s watchful eyes, like Hope is trying to find any cracks in Josie’s facade. She swallows hard, attempting to push her nerves down, and watches Hope’s eyes flicker down to her throat. 

“I know what I want, Hope, and it seems like you want the same thing. So why the hell are we fighting about it?” Josie asks, getting a little bit of confidence in the way that Hope’s breath catches and her eyes continue to flick back and forth from Josie’s eyes to her lips. 

And Josie does something that could be a huge mistake, but ignores the little flare of anxiety by surging forward and capturing Hope’s lips with her own, letting her hands reach out and grab the back of older girl’s neck to draw her closer. 

She doesn’t taste exactly like she did the first time they kissed, Josie notices. There’s no alcohol or bite to it, just the smell of cedarwood and mint and  _ Hope _ . When Hope reaches out for Josie’s waist, the brunette can’t stop the small needy noise in the back of her throat, relishing in the way Hope’s hands tighten around her possessively. 

Josie feels like she’s going to explode, assaulted with everything Hope. The smell of cedarwood, the taste of strawberry chapstick and mint gum, the feeling of soft skin behind her neck, the sound of her predatory growl when Josie tugs a little at her auburn hair.

“Fuck,” the rough gasp falls from Josie’s mouth like a prayer, and she silently begs for Hope to hurry up because her legs feel like jello. 

Hope tears her mouth away and rests her forehead against Josie’s, listening to the sound of the younger girl’s laboured breathing. Before Josie can say anything, Hope’s right hand leaves her hip and trails down her leg before her fingertips just barely graze the inside of Josie’s thigh, causing her to whimper.

There’s a moment where they both stay still and the only movement is the heavy rise and fall of both of their chests, Hope looking at Josie intensely again. Her hand on Josie’s thigh doesn’t budge, and the brunette realizes what Hope’s waiting for.

“ _ Please _ ,” Josie begs, her voice lower than she expected it would be. “Please touch me Hope.”

Josie’s skirt stops mid-thigh and is soft cotton, and she’s grateful for the fact that it’s easy to manoeuvre around. Hope’s fingers trail around her purposefully, passing where Josie wants her most and pausing at the waistband of the brunette’s underwear, watching Josie inhale sharply. Hope smiles gently before her fingers move lower and lower and—

Josie groans loudly, her head resting on the crook of Hope’s neck. She nips and bites there in between her gasps and whimpers, trying to leave her own mark. 

Hope kisses Josie’s forehead before speaking huskily, “You’re so fucking wet baby. Is this all for me?” 

The brunette nods into Hope’s neck, not bothering with words knowing she won’t be able to speak coherently. 

Hope seems to have other ideas, though. “Use your words, Jo.”

“ _ Yes _ ,” Josie whimpers. “It’s all for you.”

She can feel Hope smirk before two fingers enter her and she lets out a sweet, soft moan. Hope’s fingers work with fever that has Josie mumbling for more without even thinking about it, her hands clinging to Hope’s shoulders desperately. She needs more, wants all of Hope, and her hands tangle in auburn locks and tug the older girl to her mouth, letting Hope take the lead. The way that Hope pulls on Josie’s bottom lip every once and a while has the brunette mewling; but when Hope crooks her fingers and presses against the softest spot in Josie, she nearly shouts. 

Hope quickly moves the hand resting on Josie’s hip to cover the younger girl’s mouth. “You need to be quiet for me, okay? Or else someone might hear us.”

Josie nods but gets more aroused at the idea of someone finding them, and the dark look Hope gives her tells her the auburn haired girl can see how Josie reacted to what she said.

Hope’s thumb rubs against Josie’s clit and her moan is muffled in Hope’s hand. The auburn haired girl removes her hand and explains, “You make a noise and I stop.”

“O-okay,” Josie responds shakily, biting hard on her lip as Hope tests her by running a thumb across her clit again. 

Hope resumes pumping into her again and Josie clenches her eyes shut, focusing on how good it feels and not making a noise, afraid for it to all end. The angle is awkward, Josie can tell by the frustrated grunt from Hope and how her hand slows down. Hope snarls into Josie’s lips impatiently and removes her hand from the younger girl’s panties, her fingers wet. Josie lets out a disappointed huff at the loss of fingers. Before Hope can clean them on her pants, Josie’s hand grasps her wrist and she sucks on Hope’s fingers, dark brown eyes not wavering.

The auburn haired girl growls, “Get on the counter.”

Josie releases the other girl’s fingers with a pop, offering a shy smile before lifting herself onto the counter between two sinks. Hope stands there for a second, drinking Josie in, before advancing forward and sinking to her knees. Her hands drag off Josie’s panties and when they’re off completely, Hope gives the other girl a kiss on the inside of her knee before moving back up, panties in hand.

“Put this in your mouth for me,” Hope orders quietly, watching Josie’s mouth open hesitantly before using the underwear as a gag. Watching Josie listen carefully gives Hope an idea that she wishes to explore more in the future. She tests her theory first. “Good girl, Josie.” 

Josie shivers at the attention and whines. The auburn haired girl smirks and dips her head back down, wanting to move quickly. Her hands push Josie’s legs apart and she starts by pressing hot, wet kisses along the inside of the other girl’s thigh, trailing upwards before pressing a light feathered kiss right above Josie’s center.

The younger girl involuntarily opens her legs a little wider, hands gripping Hope’s hair. Hope looks up to Josie and keeps eye contact when her tongue carefully licks from Josie’s entrance to her clit, before sucking there for a moment, watching Josie arch into her. She continues to move her tongue eagerly and drags her nails across Josie’s thighs. The brunette shudders, her eyes closing shut with delight. 

Josie is getting close, her walls fluttering more and hips beginning to meet Hope’s mouth at a wild pace, and Hope notices. She replaces her mouth with her fingers again, pumping at an unforgiving pace, bringing her face back up to Josie’s. 

“Come for me, baby. Be my good girl and come,” Hope demands quietly.

Josie feels herself tumble off the edge at that moment, and her eyes roll back a little and she rides the shockwaves on Hope’s hand, moans still muffled by the panties in her mouth. When Josie just starts to stop fluttering around Hope’s fingers, Hope flicks her clit and sucks hard on her neck, prolonging the orgasm even longer. Josie cries out and her head slumps against the mirror behind her. 

  
  


When they leave the washroom, Josie’s neck is covered in harsh, red marks and Hope’s arm is wrapped around her waist possessively.

They pass Penelope outside smoking with a few of her friends, and Josie moves the hood of her jacket to cover her neck a little better. Hope’s arm drops to her side and they walk past like nothing happened.

Josie distantly remembers the candy and pop they’re leaving behind, and how badly she wanted to see the movie they were doing to watch, but the dull throb in between her legs excites her for what’s next when they get home.


	5. that smile that you gave me

Josie still can’t believe she and Hope fucked.

It’s been two days since they went to go see the movie and tomorrow is her and Lizzie’s party at Salvatore, and Josie’s been actively avoiding her step sister. A title that makes bile rise to her throat and her hands clammy with uneasiness. Fortunately, they don’t have an opportunity to discuss what happened in the washrooms. The night of the movie, after stealing glances and touches the whole walk home, Josie was greeted by her mother and Klaus back from their trip.

Seeing her mother for the first time in weeks was more than enough to sober Josie up and realize how poorly planned and selfish her night with Hope had been. Her chest has been heavy with guilt since she saw her mother’s warm smile greeting her.

Dinner is quiet, on Josie’s end of things, at least. Hope and Lizzie keep conversation flowing with their parents and listen eagerly when Caroline describes how amazing some of the places they saw were. Josie focuses on scraping the brown rice on her plate into a neat pile on one side and then doing the same with her roasted broccoli and chicken. It’s not until she finally looks up from her activities that she sees Lizzie’s curious gaze, asking the silent question of _ what’s wrong _?

Josie simply shakes her head in response, offering a small smile that she means to be reassuring, though Lizzie’s concern doesn’t waver. 

“Well, dinner was delicious, love.” Klaus thanks Caroline, kissing her cheek with a smile before rising from his chair. “I have a bit of business to attend to, but I should be back soon.”

Hope gets up with him and walks him out, and Josie watches the other girl’s movements carefully. Watches her hands tighten in their hug and her warm smile, which Josie only sees when Hope’s father is around. 

Josie’s eyes stay fixated, however, on piercing blue eyes that seem to melt at the sight of Klaus. Josie has always admired how two of the strongest people she knew stayed vulnerable for each other, hearts open and ready.

Klaus turns and waves one last time before leaving, his thick black jacket hanging over his arm. 

The dinner resumes, however less lively than before and Josie continues taking a bite of food every once and a while and busying herself with remaking the piles afterwards. 

Everyone is done except for her, now just staying at the table to finish conversations with their plates empty, and Josie hasn’t had an appetite the last couple days because she _ fucked her step sister _, so she speaks up finally. “I’ll do the dishes.”

She stands and picks up her plate and cutlery, picking up Caroline’s plate beside her.

Hope shoots to her feet as well. “I’ll help.”

“Aw,” Caroline coos, a bright smile on her face. “I love that you two are getting along again.”

Josie spots Lizzie’s hard glare her way and shifts back and forth on her feet.

“I guess all the time they’ve been spending together is paying off,” Lizzie notes coldly, a thin frown on her face. 

The brunette prays that Hope stays quiet and doesn’t poke, but of course things haven’t been working out with Josie’s wishful thinking. 

“Oh,” Hope’s eyes light up, “You have _ no _idea.”

She’s both relieved and terrified when Lizzie and Caroline leave the two of them to their own devices, not before Lizzie gives one last glare towards Hope and Josie. Now that they’re gone, the brunette worries that her avoiding Hope will come crashing down into one big argument, and she isn’t sure she has the energy to explain to Hope why they shouldn’t be doing this — regardless of how badly they both want to.

Hope, however, seemingly chooses another strategy today because she silently gathers the dishes from the table and watches as Josie puts away the leftovers. She missed her mother’s cooking immensely, and while her appetite has been missing due to the anxiousness bubbling in her stomach, she still appreciates the comfort of a home cooked meal. Josie’s been mostly living off of food from the cafeteria at school and the few meals she can make, most of them breakfast foods or salads. Maybe when she and Hope are settled she can have the leftovers later tomorrow.

When she's done with leftovers, they move to the sink and divide their efforts by an unspoken agreement: Josie washes and Hope dries. Her step sister is standing just a touch closer than needed, and their arms and shoulders brush against each other with their movements. She doesn't let herself look at the auburn haired girl, choosing instead to glare at the dishes in the sink. Hope clearly doesn't have that problem as she feels her amused stare on her from time to time. She's nonchalant; indifferent even, and it irks Josie more than she cares to admit. 

There’s a small voice in the back of her head that seems to be getting louder every day. _ You were just a conquest _ , it haunts her, _ she’s moving on to the next best thing _. 

She finally hits her tipping point at the same time Hope speaks. 

“Y’know, it’s sort of weird that you guys—“

“— We can’t _ do this _ , Hope.” And it’s not what Josie had wanted to say, not what she planned in her head for nights as she lay awake staring at the ceiling, but it’ll do. “We can’t keep dancing around each other like this and I know I said that I wanted us but now our parents are here and it’s _ wrong _.”

“Okay,” Hope answers simply, shrugging her shoulders.

Somehow, the girl’s lack of a reaction, of a fight, angers Josie even more. Hurts her — was her little voice right? The thought makes her want to stand under the shower and scrub herself raw, dirty with Hope’s fingerprints all over her. 

“Okay?” Josie repeats back, incredulously. Her stare on the dishes move to the girl to her right and she finds harsh blue eyes already watching her. Not angry, or indifferent, but a flicker of _ cockiness _ and it settles deep under Josie’s skin making her confused and even more frustrated. 

“Well,” Hope starts, the glint in her eye nearly drawing Josie in. “Later, when Caroline and my father leave to go wherever it is they go, and I bring new people home at night and they leave sore, you’ll be wishing it was you I was fucking. And then we’ll end up right where we started.”

Josie frowns and attempts to ignore her heart flutter at the prospect of being on the receiving end of Hope in the bedroom after restless nights being forced to listen. “That’s not true.”

Hope smiles warmly and Josie swears her whole world goes off-kilter watching the auburn haired girl _ smile _. “I know that our parents being home scares you. But just know that I want you, Josie.”

“I…” Josie watches as Hope licks her lips. “It doesn’t matter what I want. What if someone finds out? What that will do to our family?”

“Lizzie _ is _ suspicious of us,” Hope agrees solemnly, drying the last plate and putting it in the cabinet. 

Josie’s noticed as well, though for a different reason. It’s why she’s stopped looking at Hope entirely. Lizzie knows her better than she knows herself, and if the blonde twin figures that Josie likes Hope, well, Lizzie’s always liked the same people as Josie. The only difference between them is that Lizzie gets what she wants without any remorse. 

She tells herself she’s worried because Lizzie is much less subtle than herself and that it isn’t jealousy.

“As long as we aren’t together too often she won’t notice,” Josie mentions. It’s more just to humour Hope with the idea that this might work for them, but as soon as she says it she begins to believe the plan herself. 

Hope nods in agreement. “Pay extra attention to her tomorrow and she should forget all about it.”

The brunette sighs and turns around so that her back can lean against the counter. “This is still wrong, Hope. So very wrong.”

“It’s okay,” Hope smiles and it lights Josie up inside. “Isn’t that what makes this so much more fun?”

She rolls her eyes in response, simply shaking her head before she goes to make her way upstairs before Hope grabs her wrist.

“If you’re worried, we can stop.”

Josie takes a deep breath and dives into her and Hope and what they might be. “I want this.”

  


It’s late into the evening when Klaus returns home. Josie is up practicing spells when she hears the front door downstairs open and his heavy footsteps across the hardwood floor before he travels upstairs and to his and Caroline’s bedroom.

Josie glances to the alarm clock she keeps on her bedside table and realizes just how much time got away from her. She meant to practice only for an hour or so but it’s nearing midnight and she unfortunately still has a ways to go before perfecting the spell. 

Her phone buzzes on the desk and she decides that a distraction might be necessary. Josie’s always found that she needs to clear her mind in these moments in order to perform spells better when she returns to the problem. 

She expects a text from MG asking about the assigned questions from History of the Supernatural, or even Penelope’s rare late text asking how she was, but instead she sees Hope on her phone’s display.

**Hope Mikaelson, 11:52pm**

_ Can I drop off your birthday gift? _

Josie texts back immediately, telling her to come to her room. It only takes another two or so minutes before her bedroom door is creaking open slowly and auburn hair and bright blue eyes poke around from the side, smiling at Josie with this wide, vulnerable grin that makes Josie’s stomach do backflips.

Hope slips into her room and shuts the door behind her, the soft _ click _ of the door and the sound of their breathing is the only noise between them for a few moments, both of them taking each other in.

Her eyes catch sight of a small box, wrapped delicately with a note accompanying it. Hope sees her interest and explains, “I wanted to leave it on your bed but I thought a hand delivery would be more personal.”

Josie’s lips turn upwards in a small smile and she watches Hope move towards her hesitantly, as though she’s afraid to step wrong and have the comfortable safety between the two of them shatter. She stops in front of Josie, the top of her shins brushing against the brunette’s knees. With Josie sitting like this, Hope is a foot or so above her, careful blue eyes studying her.

Swallowing down her jitteriness, Josie reaches out for Hope’s hips and pulls the girl towards her, silently asking the older girl to sit on her lap. Hope swings her leg over Josie’s thighs and settles on her lap with a content sigh, eyes sparkling and a loose smile on her lips. Her arms rest on top of Josie’s shoulders and Josie can feel the light breath of the other girl against her cheek.

“Do you want to open it?” Hope asks, holding the box between them.

Josie nods with a smile. “I’d love to.”

She takes the box with tentative fingers, shakily unwrapping and discarding the wrapping paper, placing it on her desk before removing the top and revealing a pendant similar to the one around Hope’s neck currently.

She can feel her cheeks burn and her smile grow wider before she takes the necklace out of the box and holds it out in front of her, analyzing all of the intricate designs pressed into the metal.

“Do you like it?”

Josie glances towards Hope, seeing her usually confident demeanour falter, and gives her a reassuring smile. “It’s beautiful, Hope. Thank you.”

Hope has to lean into Josie to help her with the clasp of the necklace, making the brunette whimper softly at the feeling of Hope pressing into her more. 

She can hear the auburn haired girl laugh softly and Josie swears it’s the prettiest thing in the world. Hope presses a kiss to Josie’s neck and teases, “I know a way you can thank me.”

“Our parents and my sister are down the hall,” Josie answers, squirming a little, beginning to grow uncomfortable with the heat between her legs.

Hope presses another kiss on Josie’s neck, eliciting another moan from the brunette. “You’ll have to be quiet then, Jo.”

Josie smiles and kisses Hope’s forehead before the other girl pulls away, both of them catching their breath. Her fingers gradually crawl towards the smooth expanse of skin under Hope’s shirt, appreciating the other girl’s abs. She watches as Hope tenses involuntarily when Josie’s fingers brush the sensitive bit of skin and Josie takes note of it. 

She wants to spend days worshipping Hope, finding all of the soft spots that make the other girl sigh with pleasure, kneeling and finding solace in Hopes legs. She swears it feels like no other person in the world can compare to the girl in her lap right now. 

But she doesn’t have days readily set aside for her to be able kiss every inch of Hope, so she settles with the few hours she has tonight instead. 

Her nails drag across Hope’s abs almost like a question. _ Is this okay? _ Hope arches into her and lets out a barely audible, “Oh _ god _.”

She smiles to herself, proud of making someone as powerful as Hope arch into her for more. Her fingers move to the auburn haired girl’s back and unclasps Hope’s bra. Before she pulls away to let Hope remove her shirt, she rakes her nails across the older girl’s back. 

Hope’s hand, that was playing with Josie’s hair one moment, grabs a fist full of brown locks and tugs it at the same time she lets out a heavenly moan. The action of pulling Josie’s hair causes her to close her eyes and whimper, enjoying how all she can smell is the cedarwood and mint from Hope.

Josie is positive she could come undone just by hearing Hope moan for her.

Hope untangles her hand from Josie’s hair and takes off her shirt, throwing it haphazardly behind her and before she can take off her bra as well, Josie reaches out and pulls the bra straps down herself, slowly revealing more of Hope to her.

And Josie can’t help herself, because she’s never been very good at keeping quiet around Hope. “You’re so _ beautiful _.” She watches Hope blush and duck her head down, almost embarrassed, but Josie wants to see Hope’s face. Her hand moves to Hope’s chin and lifts it slightly so they’re face to face again. “I mean it, Hope. You’re gorgeous.”

Hope smiles, a bashful, large smile that Josie has only seen on rare occasions, before the brunette leans in and kisses the smile away, letting herself drown in Hope.

When they pull away, her head spins a little, and Josie doesn’t think she’ll ever get used to how euphoric it feels to have her lips on Hope’s.

Her hands reach out and massage Hope’s breasts, feeling the girl’s nipples harden before Josie drops her head to put one in her mouth while she plays with the other, pinching and squeezing gently. Hope’s hands resumed their place in Josie’s hair, her hands clenching around brown locks and tugging when certain sensations hit harder than others.

When her mouth releases Hope’s other nipple with a _ pop _ and she removes her hands, Hope lets out a disappointed whine at the lost of contact. 

“Can we move to the bed?” Josie asks, her teeth nipping at the skin just below Hope’s ear. 

She can feel the other girl shudder and nod, moving to get off of Josie’s lap. Josie stops her by keeping her hands planted firmly on Hope’s hips, gluing the other girl to her. Hope looks at her curiously. Josie doesn’t bother with explaining, just simply drops her hands to under Hope’s thighs and takes a deep breath in before standing to her feet with the older girl’s legs wrapped around her waist, hoisted up by Josie’s arms. 

She thanks whoever is listening up there that the flag football is mid season and because of that, is in the best shape she’s been in all year. With vampires and werewolves on her team, she learned the hard way her first year that she needed a bit more muscle for practices when she was the unlucky witch paired up with someone who had super-strength.

Josie places Hope down on her bed carefully, letting her mouth explore Hope’s neck a bit more before placing kisses and dragging her tongue down Hope’s body. Paying more attention to her breasts and then, when she reached Hope’s abs again, nips at the sensitive skin she had been keeping in mind. Hope all but bucks Josie off of her completely and shouts out.

The brunette crambles back up to Hope and places and hand over the other girl’s mouth. Hope’s eyes are wide and blown with arousal to the point that Josie can barely see the blue in them. 

“You have to be quiet,” Josie quips, happy to not be the one out of them to be patronized for being too loud. 

Hope just huffs in annoyance, her hand coming up to hold the hand Josie isn’t using to gag her with. Josie’s brows furrow in confusion before realizing what’s happening as Hope leads their hands past her panties and Josie moans as quietly as she can at the feeling. Hope is so, _ so _wet for her, it makes her knees weak with want. She shifts so that the hand that was keeping Hope quiet is moved to beside Hope’s head, Josie keeping her balance by resting on top of the auburn haired girl and leaning into her free arm.

She teases Hope’s entrance for a while, savouring the needy whimpers falling out of the other girl’s mouth. Her finger dips into Hope for a moment before pulling out. She goes in a little more each time and she’s about to finally begin fucking Hope when the auburn haired girl growls and uses her free hand to grab Josie’s jaw.

“Fuck me, Josie, and then you can get your reward,” Hope orders, kissing Josie hard and biting the brunette’s bottom lip carefully and releasing it after giving it a tug.

Josie stops teasing after that, her heart racing at the prospect of being rewarded, mind nearly drifting away to imagine all the things Hope would do to her, but snaps back to the task at hand. Her head dips back down to where her hand is still resting and finally pulls off Hope’s underwear, the girl now completely nude. Josie spreads Hope’s folds with her fingers and presses her tongue inside of the older girl. In and out, in and out, and starting to suck and even bite around the most sensitive parts of Hope, bringing the auburn haired girl teetering towards the edge. She presses two fingers inside the older girl, letting Hope adjust before she begins a fast but tender pace, crooking her fingers at just the right spot.

She can feel Hope’s fingers pulling at her hair, drawing her impossibly close, and senses that the other girl is close. She closes her eyes and sucks hard on Hope’s clit and adds another finger, only pumping for three or four strokes before Hope is coming, whimpering as quietly as she can so she doesn’t wake any of their family up.

She licks Hope clean and makes her way back up to Hope’s face, giving a loopy smile and leans in for a kiss, much softer than the others they’ve shared.

Hope smiles back when they pull away, biting her lip abashedly. “We have to grab some things from my room for the next part.”

Josie feels goosebumps trail up her arms with excitement. _ The next part _ , Josie thinks. _ My reward. _


	6. we fall apart as it gets dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: *googling types of vibrators, reading up on consent and learning about safe power dynamics*  
also me: should i call it pop and spell colour like that and risk exposing me as a canadian?

Josie lays on her bed, watching Hope as she moves around the brunette’s bedroom with purpose, placing and tying specific items. A pair of pink, fluffy handcuffs lay beside Josie almost like an omen for what’s to come.

When Hope had entered her room with a handful of different objects for the next part of their night, Josie couldn’t help but giggle at the bright pink handcuffs. So very unintimidating and unlike the girl holding them. Hope scowled at her and explained, “I couldn’t find my other ones.”

Hope walks towards her, seemingly happy with her quick set up. She lays on top of Josie and she shudders at the feeling of Hope’s body heat contrasting Josie’s chill. 

Hope holds her gaze as she slowly lifts Josie’s arms above her head. Josie’s still and unsure, but there are already shivers running through her body that she can’t stop, even if she wanted to. And she doesn’t want to.

One hand grasps two of her wrists, and her own short gasp takes her by surprise, but not Hope, it seems. Hope only smirks, briefly, and then it fades as her thumb runs down Josie’s cheek, to her lips, outlining the contour. Josie suddenly feels brave enough to poke her tongue out and lick, causing Hope’s smirk to reappear and stay as she takes her thumb away to cup Josie’s chin. There’s a calculating, studying expression on her face as she cocks her head to the right, searching Josie’s face.

Then Hope’s hand tightens around Josie’s hands and her free one goes to wrap lightly around Josie’s neck. The brunette arches upwards and moans, legs rubbing together to get some sort of friction.

Hope’s smirk widens at Josie’s reaction, cocky and in control — if Josie wasn’t enjoying what was happening as much as she is, she would slap the smirk off Hope’s face. 

The older girl moves swiftly, grabbing the handcuffs to Josie’s right and hovering over her, pausing and waiting for confirmation from Josie.

“ _ Please _ ,” Josie whispers, arching her hips into Hope for some sort of release.

Hope smiles and nods, fastening the handcuffs around Josie’s wrist and looping it through one of the bed posts before locking the other wrist, keeping Josie secure to the headboard.

Her touches are barely there and it makes Josie ache in a way she’s never felt before. Hope’s hands ghost across Josie’s arms to her breasts, cupping her softly and brushing her thumbs across already pebbled nipples. 

Josie whines, moving her chest upwards to try and get more contact, but Hope pushes her down immediately. “If you move or you speak, we stop.”

Josie nods and closes her eyes, trying her hardest to stay quiet and not move, but Hope’s mouth latches onto the skin above her nipple and she chokes on her moan. 

She can feel a mark forming and when Hope pulls away the older girl smirks proudly, kissing over it softly before moving to a different patch of skin.

The brunette can feel her chest burn with harsh red bruises and bites on her tongue, not wanting any of it to end, but desperately wanting some relief between her legs. 

Almost like Hope can read her mind, her hand trails down to Josie’s folds and she lets out a satisfying hum of approval. “You’re already so wet, Jo. Do you like getting marked like that?”

The younger girl nods.

“When I address you, you can speak.”

“ _ F-fuck… _ yes, I do.” Her voice is rough and low and she feels like her entire body is on fire. 

Hope’s brow quirks up and she smiles, a wicked thing that makes Josie’s center heat up. The auburn haired girl pushes two fingers in without warning and Josie’s hips move upwards slightly before driving back down, remembering the rules Hope made.

Hope’s pace is unforgiving and Josie revels at how quickly the other girl’s actions put her on the edge almost immediately, forcing Josie to bite her lip hard to keep quiet. She can taste copper and barely has the awareness to know that her lip is bleeding with how relentlessly Hope is fucking her.

She’s about to come — her eyes closed shut and hands balled into fists — when Hope removes her fingers entirely right before Josie can come.

Her eyes fly open and she stares at Hope, watching the other girl smirk cockily and tilt her head, blue eyes fixed on Josie’s. She moves so that she’s straddling Josie, and leans down to kiss her — much more tender than the brunette was expecting.

“Ask me to come,” Hope states, sliding down so that she’s sitting on Josie’s thighs before letting her nails drag across Josie’s stomach, leaving red scratches behind. 

Josie shudders, the heat between her legs growing more uncomfortable by the second. “Can I come?”

Hope tilts her head again before tsking disappointedly. Her hands move and her nails drag across Josie’s stomach again. “ _ Manners _ , Jo.”

The brunette grits her teeth in frustration before pleading, “Please may I come?”

Josie’s not sure when the other girl got whatever object was in her hand, but she only notices it after Hope smiles at her. “Good girl.”

Hope moves the small, black object to Josie’s clit and the brunette comes almost immediately, the light vibrations from the black bullet sending her over the edge.

It takes a minute or so for Josie to finish riding out the aftershocks and when she does, Hope begins to press soft kisses along Josie’s stomach, tender lips following the harsh red marks left from Hope dragging her nails across sensitive skin. Josie shivers, hiding her face in the crook of her arm as she tries to calm her breathing.

Everything feels fuzzy — and after the harsh orgasm she just had, Hope’s softness after the fact is a stark contrast and makes Josie want to curl into the auburn haired girl’s body and sleep off the night together.

Hope meets dark brown eyes in the low light and Josie hears her breath catch in her throat, both of them suddenly aware of the loving nature of all of this. Both of them too afraid to speak into words what either of them want it to mean.

Hope offers a small smile, adoration sparkling in her eyes and Josie’s stomach flutters, full to the brim of attention and care. And maybe it’s because she’s so used to being the one who cares too much — who loves and loves and loves until she has nothing left to give — but while she watches Hope with this look in her eyes, Josie swears never been handled with so much care.

The older girl removes the handcuffs gently, peppering Josie’s wrists with kisses making Josie blush slightly.

“You did so good,” Hope whispers, kissing Josie’s cheek.

The brunette smiles shyly, moving her face so she and Hope can kiss properly. It’s a gentle brush of lips and Josie is afraid of the line she and Hope may be abandoning with the tenderness of it all. 

Hope slides into the spot beside Josie and lets the younger girl wrap her arms around Hope’s torso, Josie’s lips brushing against Hope’s shoulders and kissing the skin there carefully before feeling her eyes flutter.

She falls asleep with her arms wrapped around the girl she used to hate and the girl’s hands playing with brown locks absentmindedly, and Josie swears she might be addicted to the safety that comes with being in the arms of Hope.

  
  


When her eyes flutter open, the bright light from her window causes her to squint and groan in annoyance, the day coming far too soon for Josie’s liking. She also feels colder than she felt before she fell asleep, and when she reaches out to her side she finds an empty spot where Hope used to lay, still a little warm and thick with the scent of the older girl. She’s not too surprised that Hope left before Josie woke up, but the disappointment that settles deep in her chest is present nevertheless.

Josie gets up slowly, not in any particular rush to greet the day, drawing her blinds open completely and looking out at the large fields behind the backyard. She moves to her mirror, brows scrunching together in concentration as she pokes and prods all of the hickeys and scratches on her skin. 

She’s grateful for the healing spell her History of Magic teacher taught her, though she makes a point of only healing the marks that would be visible with her dress on. “_Sana a plaga tua_,” she murmurs, watching certain bruises fade into her skin until they disappear entirely.

Josie has an hour to get ready for school, and Hope and Lizzie would have already left for their first periods, so Josie throws on a shirt and underwear and trudges downstairs. There’s only a little bit of cold coffee in the pot after it went through four people, so she brews a fourth a pot and enjoys a hot coffee, letting the silence of the house seep into her. She loves her family — unashamed, proud, and loving — but they’re also very  _ loud _ , and Josie takes advantage of all of the moments she gets to herself where she can enjoy the quiet.

She makes herself toast and hums to herself instead of listening to music off of her phone, swaying around the kitchen contently. Every minute or so her phone buzzes, no doubt a text from a family member or friend wishing her a happy birthday, so she ignores it for as long as she can until she has to check to see if Lizzie has texted her yet with how decorating the main hall is going. There’s no text from her twin, but a dozen or so happy birthday text messages that she scrolls through and answers politely.

She finishes her coffee and toast and washes up for the day before grabbing her phone and keys off the kitchen island and noticing a new text.

**Hope Mikaelson, 8:52am**

_ Happy birthday, Jo. See you at school ;) _

Josie treats herself to a large iced coffee instead of a medium and even purchases her favourite donut, excitedly biting into the baked good and continuing her walk through town to school. It’s a good half hour walk, Salvatore being on the outskirts of town, but Josie sees three dogs going on walks and she makes sure to pet each and every one of them as they pass.

She isn’t sure anything can ruin her day, that is until she bumps into Penelope as she makes her way across the quad. She nearly trips over her own feet but small hands move to steady her hips and she sees dark green eyes looking at her curiously.

“Penelope,” Josie greets, trying to look anywhere but the raven haired girl’s eyes to avoid the awkward tension.

“Jo Jo.” 

Josie is entirely too aware of the hands on her hips and how they almost feel foreign now, after months of them being her solace. She lets herself get distracted by the condensation on her coffee cup and how it mixes with the palm of her clammy hand. 

“I wanted to wish you a happy birthday. And that it sucks about how your mom had to leave last minute so she can’t come to the party,” Penelope explains, tilting her head almost like an attempt to see Josie’s reaction better.

The brunette’s eyes dart to Penelope’s and she tries to find any cracks in her facade. Her stomach drops when she realizes that the raven haired girl is telling the truth and she stumbles out of Penelope’s hands. “ _ What _ ?”

“Oh, I heard them schedule her drop off at the office. I thought you knew,” Penelope gives a small smile before stepping closer to Josie. “Oops.”

She shakes her head, tears threatening to spill. It feels so juvenile, crying over her mom like this, but Josie can’t help but wish that she’d get to spend more time with her mother, have her here at home for her  _ birthday _ . Josie can’t even imagine how upset Lizzie must be. “You’re wrong. She was home this morning she would’ve said goodbye.”

“I guess not,” Penelope says pointedly.

There’s a beat of silence between them as Josie tries to wrap her head around the fact that her mother left her and her sister on their birthday. She starts to speak again but is cut off by someone walking towards the pair quickly. “And what ma—“

“— Get away from her,” Hope seethes, grabbing Josie’s wrist so hard the brunette swears it might bruise.

Penelope looks shocked, though she hides most of it fairly well. “If it isn’t your little guard dog.” She’s only looking at Josie, completely ignoring the other girl.

“She’s not my guard dog,” Josie mutters with a little less backbone than she was hoping for. 

Hope steps in between the two exes and puts herself in front of Josie protectively, hand still firm around the brunette’s wrist. Her voice, however, is calm and even, a stark contrast to how angry she appeared originally. “I need Josie,” she starts, and Josie can’t help the dirty place her mind goes to. “Lizzie doesn’t think I fold napkins properly, so she wanted me to get you.”

Josie catches the raven haired girl roll her eyes before Hope begins to march them away, back towards the main building. 

“Of course, Lizzie calls for you and you go dropping to her feet,” Penelope calls out to them, watching Josie stop in her tracks and Hope stop a foot after.

Josie turns around. Hope mutters something to her, but Josie can’t really hear the auburn haired girl that well. She feels the tips of her ears go red and her chest get heavy with anger. “Not this fight. Not again, Penelope.”

She turns back around and begins marching towards the main hall, ignoring the raven haired girl yelling about her being sorry and Hope’s confused look.


	7. there’s nothing you can do or say

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’m so sorry for the delay — the end of summer got pretty busy!!

“D’you wanna tell me what that was about?” Hope asks finally.

The duo had been working together in silence, the only communication between them being about where to place decorations and the brush of hands.

Josie is a little frightened when it comes to how easily she and Hope managed to understand each other without actually speaking. Hope would let her fingers settle on the small of Josie’s back for a second longer than what would be considered normal and it would be like asking the silent question;  _ Are you okay? _

The brunette would nod and catch Hope’s eyes, giving a reassuring smile and short nod before continuing to busy herself with getting the main hall ready for the party.  _ I’m fine _ , she would answer.

She figures that her smiles weren’t reaching her eyes enough to be comforting for Hope and Josie wishes that she hates how easily the auburn haired girl can read her. But nevertheless, the comfortable silence between the two is broken.

“It’s nothing,” Josie shrugs noncommittally. She can practically hear the other girl’s eye roll.

“Then why do you look like someone just kicked a puppy?” 

Josie’s face darts towards Hope and frowns, eyebrows furrowing together mournfully. “Don’t say that. Now I’m thinking about the poor puppies.”

Hope smiles softly, the kind that reaches her eyes and makes Josie’s stomach do backflips. “Jo, forget the puppies for a sec, I promise they’re doing okay,” she reassures the brunette. “But really, what happened between you and Penelope?”

And maybe it’s the fact that Hope is looking at her with these bright blue eyes like Josie is the most incredible thing to exist, or maybe it’s just because the brunette has never been good at keeping secrets for very long, but she feels her once stoic demeanour crumble.

“It’s stupid,” Josie states bitterly, fiddling around with one of the white cloth napkins.

Hope shakes her head and cautiously takes a step closer. Not too close so that the others in the hall grow suspicious, but close enough for it to look like two friends in conversation. “I promise you I won’t think it’s stupid.”

The brunette sighs, closing her eyes for a second and feels Hope wash away the rest of her resolve. “She thinks i’m too dependent on Lizzie which, yeah, I am with her all the time and tell her everything, but she’s my  _ sister _ ,” Josie explains.

“Why does that bother Penelope so much?” Hope asks, spotting Lizzie as the blonde enters the hall and taking a step away from Josie to put more distance between them before resuming her napkin folding.

“I would always pick Lizzie over her, no matter the situation. She blew up at me over it eventually,” Josie answers carefully. “I guess I can understand where she was coming from, but we both said things we didn’t mean to say.”

Hope gives her a look, steady and curious. “You’re the nicest person in the world, Jo.”

The brunette blushes and ducks her head down, busying herself with the napkin folding. She shakes her head almost absentmindedly before asking, “What do you mean?”

“No one else would see her side of things the way you do. Or try to understand how she felt.”

“I don’t think—“

“— Josie!” Lizzie exclaims happily, sliding to the brunette’s side and giving her a wide smile. She makes a show of her mood visibly dropping when she looks at Hope. She grits her teeth and greets pointedly, “ _ Hope _ .”

“Lizzie,” Hope acknowledges with a tight smile. 

Josie rolls her eyes at the both of them, though she remembers distantly that she and Hope interacted practically the same way less than two weeks ago. 

Her sister links their arms together and it pulls Josie out of her train of thought. “Why did I have to hear from Satan Reincarnated that mom isn’t coming to the party?”

The brunette gulps hard and shrugs noncommittally before explaining, “I found out from her maybe an hour ago before Hope and I started helping here.” 

Lizzie pauses for a second to mull over what her sister said in her head with a disappointed hum. She forces back a smile and shrugs off the whole situation. “Well at least I have Raf.” Lizzie frowned at Josie. “Have  _ you _ found a date to the party yet?”

Josie considers that with her recent time currently being distracted by all things Hope Mikaelson, she hasn’t exactly had the opportunity to ask one of her friends to be her date. She was going to have MG by her side because it would have benefited himself as well, with his growing crush on her sister, but all week she had been meaning to ask and it slipped her mind each time. 

The brunette ignores that the reason it was constantly forgotten was because she would catch Hope’s eyes on her, watching her carefully. It made Josie feel small at first but now she feels important — if she disappeared at least one person would notice.

“No, I uh… I don’t have a date,” Josie admits sheepishly.

She glances in Hope’s direction and sees the older girl listening with interest, a smirk on her face as she watches Lizzie ramble on about how important a date is. Their eyes meet and Hope bites her lip with a shy smile. Just looking at the auburn haired girl makes Josie’s body buzz with —  _ something _ . She isn’t quite sure what yet.

Josie swears that Hope is easily the prettiest girl in the world.

“— So I guess Hope can be your date unless you find someone else,” Lizzie finishes. Her tone of voice makes it clear that she’s indifferent to the whole matter but doesn’t want the night ruined for herself. 

The brunette’s jaw nearly drops. “What?!”

“Hope will be your date.”

The girl in question shakes her head and crosses her arms in front of her chest. “Maybe I don’t want to be Josie’s date.”

Josie ignores the small pang of disappointment when Hope says that. She adds, “She’s our  _ step-sister _ , Lizzie.”

Lizzie rolls her eyes. “Not yet. And you guys aren’t actually going to date or anything, because  _ gross _ .”

“Right.” Hope smiles incredulously. “And why does Josie need a date anyways? It’s a birthday party.”

_ Because Lizzie said so — to make sure she and Raf could spend more time together _ , Josie thought bitterly with a frown. 

Lizzie’s answer is much more elegant. “No one wants to be glaringly single on their birthday. It’s sad.”

  
  


She figured sooner rather than later the supernatural villains her father and Hope fought all year would finally cause her more of a problem — with her frequenting the residential areas of the school more and more, and the odd grace period that seemed to settle in Mystic Falls for the last week or two. Everything has felt much more human than other weeks; Her problems being based around her relationships instead of a gargoyle harassing the student body.

So Josie doesn’t let herself get too attached to her mother when they come face to face near minutes before Josie’s expected at the party. Because deep down, the rational part of her is aware of the suspicion and red flags that should come from seeing her mother in the midst of the chaos that comes with battling the supernatural. But it’s also her mother; She dreamt of being held in the arms of the woman she was named after.

And here she is, the same rich brown hair as her own, with one of the kindest smiles Josie has ever seen. It makes her feel full to the brim with love — like Josette is a woman who embodies the word  _ mom _ .  _ My mom Jo, my mom Jo, my mom Jo  _ —

She feels guilty for being so at home with a woman she had never really met until this moment. Like in some dark, twisted way, Josie is cheating on Caroline with Josette. But Josette has surprisingly warm hands and an aura of calmness that lulls Josie into a daydream making her wish this is how life always had been. With her biological mother sitting in the love seat in front of her, curious about Josie’s studies and relationships. 

They talk about school first. It should feel awkward having small talk with her own mother, but it’s easy and unnerving in a way that only Josette seems to make Josie. The older woman unravels everything about her daughter in under an hour and Josie doesn’t feel exposed like it normally did when she would talk to Caroline.

Questions as simple as  _ how is school going? What’s your favourite class? Do you wish you went to a public school? _

She was so excited to talk to her mom about Hope. 

Josie lets out a shaky laugh before stumbling into the mill with her hand loosely gripping the bottle of vodka she had snagged from the beverage table in the main hall. 

She ruined her and Lizzie’s birthday. Even though the rational part of her knows it’s not her fault, Josie struggles to shake the weight off of her chest. 

The mill was cleaned up a long time ago when her family first moved into the Salvatore mansion. She and Lizzie spent days tidying the inside so they didn’t sneeze every time they stepped inside due to the dust. 

She gradually gets up the staircase to the second floor, nearly tripping on a few of the stairs, before falling against the wall heavily. Josie slides down until her knees are pressed to her chest.

She’s going to ruin everything. She already killed her own biological mother — what she has with Hope is going to destroy her family entirely. 

Her throat is beyond sore. From the screaming, the dirt that she choked on, the liquor. 

Lizzie has always handled her emotions with less delicacy and control as Josie. But Josie has always had a feeling deep inside her like she’ll never be able to claw it out. That she’s too much. Too caring. Too loud. 

She feels like she takes up more space than what’s expected of her. And after so many years of shrinking behind Lizzie until hardly anyone could notice her, Josie took up too much space again. 

The liquid burns all the way down her throat and she winces. It tastes awful, like battery acid, and Josie doesn’t understand why anyone would drink for fun.

The floorboards dig into her tailbone and her throat hurts and she swears her fingernails still have dirt under them even after she scrubbed herself red.

“Josie?”

Josie huffs in annoyance. Her grip around the neck of the bottle tightens almost in defence. She doesn’t answer her name being called but shifts so that she looks a little more presentable if the person in question comes up the stairs.

Auburn hair is the first thing she sees. “Lizzie said you were staying at school instead of the house and I thought she was insane leaving you alone,” Hope explains, stopping at the top of the staircase. Her eyes catch the bottle in Josie’s hand and she trails off, “I figured you’d want some company…”

Josie closes her eyes and takes another swig from the bottle. She tries her hardest not to wince at the taste. “I don’t want company.”

Her voice is rough and barely there. It stings so badly that tears prickle her eyes. 

“Not even a drinking partner?” Hope asks carefully, taking a tentative step towards the brunette.

Josie snorts and rolls her eyes. She pats the spot beside her and lets her head rest against the wall so she can look up at the rafters in the ceiling. She and Lizzie had hung up string lights with the help of their father when they were younger, and now some of them have burnt out over time. With the mismatched lights wrapped around the rafters, they nearly mimic the stars in the sky.

She can feel Hope’s eyes on her, watching her carefully, waiting for her to talk. Josie wants to — to just let out all of the frustrations that have been bubbling under her skin for years — but her voice is almost gone and her biological mother is dead.

“I thought you don’t drink,” Hope states with a frown after sipping the liquor. 

Josie shrugs in response. “I don’.” Her movements are sluggish and lazy, but she appreciates the way the alcohol has made her brain fuzzy and the anxieties are almost completely silenced. 

“Jo…” Hope trails off, watching Josie and taking in the state of her step sister. “Penelope noticed you were missing before I did.”

The brunette hums in agreement and takes a swig from the bottle. This isn’t something she wants to talk about, the thought has been burning in the back of her mind for some time now.

“I think we should go inside,” Hope says. “It’s getting cold out here. I don’t want you to freeze.”

Josie sighs and shuffles in her spot, growing uncomfortable on the hard floor. “I don’ drink,” she insists absentmindedly.

“I know.”

“I’m not my dad.” The brunette stares at the now empty bottle and closes her eyes. Her head spins and for a moment she thinks she might throw up, but the feeling is pushed aside. 

She feels Hope’s hand lay on her thigh and tries to focus on the warmth from the older girl. Hope’s voice is so soft Josie swears it could lull her to sleep even during her worst nights. “You’re not your dad, Jo.”

Josie pries her eyes open and turns her head slowly so she can see Hope’s face. She smiles and lets her head fall onto the auburn haired girl’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

She thinks that Hope kisses her on her forehead — is almost certain that the older girl’s lips brushed her — but it’s a ghost of an action and it’s the calming intimacy that has Josie linking their hands together. Hope breathes out shallowly and Josie feels her eyelids grow heavy with sleep.

  
  


Josie wakes up in her bedroom with a wicked headache and dry throat. There’s a bottle of water, an Advil on the bedside table and a small note anchored by the water bottle. 

She reaches for the water first, downing nearly half of it before taking the Advil. Hope’s neat handwriting sticks out to Josie and she reaches out to the note to read it.

_ Didn’t want to freak you out if I stayed in your room with you. (I still made sure I was close by — my old dorm). Come by when you’re alive. _

_ Hope  _

_ P.S., you're such a messy drunk, you’re lucky you’re cute. _


	8. and nothing has to change today

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’m sosososo sorry for the very late update. life has been busy, and balancing school with writing is a new challenge for me. i hope to try updating more regularly again, but i can’t make any promises. i hope you guys like this chapter!

It creeps up behind her on a lazy Saturday afternoon, with a mouthful of toast and heavy coffee breath after hours of studying. It’s circled in red pen and glaringly hard to miss on the family calendar — Hope doesn’t really understand how she missed this for as long as she did.

Wedding Day!! is scrawled in Caroline’s neat writing, a smiley face doodled beside it. It makes Hope’s stomach drop with dread, a sudden rush of anxiety thrumming through her bones. Less than a week before her father marries Josie’s mother. Hope can’t shake the feeling that she and Josie’s days are now numbered.

The auburn haired girl doesn’t know when she fell in love with Josie Saltzman. However, it’s five days before their parents get married and brown locks contrast the white of her bed sheets, and Hope swears no one more beautiful exists. Her heart nearly stops each time the taller girl smiles in her direction. Cheeks blush dark red and eyes dart downwards; Josie makes the tribrid vulnerable in ways Hope can’t begin to explain.

“What are you looking at?” Josie teases, her nose crinkling slightly.

The sun catches her eyes perfectly. A deep shade of brown that soaks in the light, drawing Hope in. “You…” Hope blushes. “You’re so gorgeous. D’you know that?”

The brunette smiles proudly, face moving forward so her forehead can rest against Hope’s. “You may have mentioned it once or twice before.”

Hope leans closer, letting her lips just barely brush Josie’s and smiles to herself in satisfaction when the siphon whimpers softly. She feels built for this — built to bring Josie to the edge, kiss her lips and wrists and thighs, built to love softly and unapologetically. Her right hand slowly reaches out to Josie’s hip and settles there, fingers tucked under pyjama shorts. 

“When are we supposed to be visiting your dad at Salvatore?” Hope asks quietly, softly placing kisses onto Josie’s cheek and jaw.

“Later,” Josie starts, sighing happily. “Much later.”

Hope’s mouth settles on Josie’s neck, a sweet spot right below her ear that makes the brunette arch into her instinctively. Her hand slowly crawls further past Josie’s pyjama shorts and begins to draw loose circles above the brunette’s clit through her underwear, adjusting herself so that she’s straddling Josie. 

She lets her finger slip past Josie’s underwear and stay pressed between hot folds, waiting for the brunette to make the next move. 

“Love,” Josie murmurs, reaching out and tucking a lock of auburn hair behind Hope’s ear. “Fuck me.”

Hope’s firm, persistent finger dipped further in, giving Josie’s entrance a little nudge and press. She hisses through gritted teeth as her hips jerk forward to meet the invitation of their own accord. Hope hums in approval and lifts the brunette by the waist with one hand to reposition her. Just as fast as Josie is lifted she’s set back down, but this time on top of the other hand that had made its way underneath her. One thick finger slides inside with ease and makes her arch upwards, the sweet pressure and gentle stretch reminding her just how long Hope’s fingers really are. It all happens so fast she can hardly react with anything but a soft, desperate groan, eyes fluttering closed with anticipation.

The moment Hope starts moving that finger, starts doing unbearably good, rough, beckoning strokes, shudders wrack Josie’s body and tears well in her eyes. She’s been more than ready to be satisfied by Hope all morning, eagerly looking forward to the roughness and tenderness afterwards. Hope could tell from the morning she got up — the longing looks, Josie’s bottom lip always being pulled between her teeth, she could practically smell it.

“F-fuck me,” Josie gasps, eyes shutting tightly when Hope hits just the spot.

She feels her breath prickle the skin below Josie’s left ear. “Baby, that’s what I’m doing right now.” 

Josie lets out a quiet laugh that turns into a moan when the auburn haired girl presses her thumb into Josie’s clit, letting her nail dig in ever so slightly. Josie cries out, the loudest Hope as ever had her get, and nearly sobs when Hope moves her thumb in a tight circle.

“Please, Hope.”

Hope bites her lip, trying her hardest to not let her facade break right away. When Josie begs like this, face flushed and desperate, all Hope wants to do is cradle her when she comes and kiss her softly. She moves her thumb in another tight circle and tilts her head. “Please what, Jos?”

“Please let me come.”

There’s a freedom in cuddling in Josie’s bed that Hope hasn’t been allowed to enjoy before today. Their time together is usually sparse and in the late hours of night when their parents are away — neither dumb enough to see each other when vampire hearing is in the mix. But for three days she and the brunette have the house to themselves (not including the cleaners who stopped by yesterday). Lizzie opted for a weekend of partying with some of the other witches, and Caroline and Klaus were “scouting” in Paris.

Hope knows that it’s code for sex and croissants, but it’s nearly the couple’s wedding day and she has more important things to focus on.

She lets her hand trail slow, wide circles on Josie’s back, watching goosebumps appear in her wake. Hope’s breath is soft as it hits the brunette’s cheek steadily, and she can feel herself smile contently. 

The auburn haired girl hasn’t brought up the wedding day that is fast approaching. What she has now is fragile and wonderful. Hope feels happy and vulnerable — but she’s selfish. This feeling that has been burning deep in her stomach, that makes her blush and smile when she sees Josie, is something Hope never wants to get rid of. She wants more days, more kisses, more memories with the brunette. The second she mentions the wedding, everything will crumble.

She presses a kiss to Josie’s shoulder blade, her nose brushing against hot skin.

“Hope,” Josie mumbles, her voice muffled as her face rests in the crook of her arm. She moves her head to her left to look at Hope and her eyes squint at the brightness of the room.

The auburn haired girl smiles, trying her best to ignore the burning feeling in her chest. “Yes, love?”

“I think we should go out on a date again. A proper, take you out for dinner and hold your hand sort of date.” Josie closes her eyes and moves back into the crook of her arm.

“Holding hands?” Hope teases, her nose scrunching at the idea.

The brunette responds but Hope can’t hear it properly, voice muffled by her arm. The tribrid grins and leans so that she’s flat on top of Josie on her back. 

“What was that?” The auburn haired girl questions, peppering a few kisses on Josie’s neck. “I think you forgot that I don’t have super hearing, Jos.”

Josie giggles, trying to turn around with the shorter girl’s weight on her. “I don’t want the hand holding to ruin your reputation,” the brunette smiles widely.

“My reputation?” Hope presses further, laughing as Josie squirms under her and continues to giggle. 

“Big Brood,” Josie manages to choke out as Hope begins to tickle the younger girl and keeping her pinned with her legs.

Hope gasps dramatically, moving one of her hands to clutch over her heart. “You can be mean!”

“You poked!” Josie exclaims. The brunette smiles, her cheeks turning a deep shade of pink at how domestic she and the tribrid have become. 

Hope rolls her eyes. “I did not poke.”

“What the absolute fuck is this?” A voice calls out from the hall, causing the two girls in bed to jump as far away from each other as possible. 

Hope watches Josie scramble around her bedroom, throwing on whatever clothes she can find scattered around the floor before looking wide-eyed at Hope.

“Get in the closet,” Josie orders, pushing the auburn haired girl in the direction of the closet behind her. 

“What?!” Hope sputters in surprise, mouth opening slightly.

Josie opens the closet door and stations the tribrid inside. “Stay.”

“Are you kiddi—“ Hope is cut off by the closet door being closed on her and hearing the other Saltzman twin’s voice.

She watches through the small slits in the door as Lizzie storms into Josie’s bedroom, hand clutching a small, neatly wrapped box. 

“Uh…” Josie looks at Lizzie in confusion. “Why am I supposed to know what that is?”

“Because it’s for you,” the blonde responds, voice full of accusation.

“Oh.”

“I’m not sure if this is some weird secret admirer, or someone forgot it was recently my birthday too, but I demand to know who forgot about me!” 

Hope rolls her eyes, crossing her arms in the dark closet. She can just barely see the box from behind the shutters. A box the size used for a necklace or bracelet, wrapped in dark maroon paper and a neat silver bow. The only thing that perks Hope’s interest is the familiar M scrawled on the gift tag below Josie’s name.

Oh no, Hope thinks solemnly, everything beginning to click. 

“It’s from the Mikaelsons,” Josie notes curiously, fingers trailing over the identifying initial with a satisfied hum.

Hope closes her eyes in embarrassment, trying to swallow down the rising bile in her throat.

“Well are you gonna open it?” Lizzie asks, tilting her head.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in Richmond with Sarah and Quinn?” 

“Don’t change the subject, dear sister.” Lizzie reaches out for the box to open it herself but her hand is swatted away.

“Okay, okay,” Josie mutters before unwrapping the gift.

She takes off the lid of the box tentatively before gasping quietly. Hope watches as the brunette removes a thin, gold band with detailed symbols engraved along the side.

Aunt Freya, Hope thinks warily.

“Who’s it from?” The blonde snags the bracelet from Josie and looks at it carefully with a frown.

“The card says… ‘Your soon-to-be-aunt’.”

“Anything else?”

“... No,” Josie responds hesitantly, but is overlooked by her sister, whose interest is primarily on the brunette’s present. 

“I didn’t get a ‘welcome to the family’ gift,” Lizzie comments. She frowns and crosses her arms, side-eyeing the now opened box. “Why do you get special treatment from the Mikealsons?”

Josie blushes and shakes her head, placing the present on her bed. “Maybe they heard that you’ve been calling them the Mikaelson Mafia.”

“Hope,” Lizzie accuses, rolling her eyes. “She just had to ruin this for me.”

“Who said this was Hope’s fault?”

“It’s certainly not my own, dear twin.” The blonde sighs dramatically before her eyes narrow, finally taking in the mess in Josie’s room. “What happened in here?”

Josie swallows hard, trying to play cool. She moves around to the other side of the room to fix the duvet cover and kick a pair of lace underwear under her bed discreetly. “I lost a pen.”

“A pen?” Lizzie responds incredulously. 

The brunette hums in confirmation before making show of her opening a drawer and searching through it half-assed. “My favourite pen.”

Lizzie shorts and takes a step backwards towards the main hall, rolling her eyes. “Okay nerd. I’m supposed to be going into town with Sarah since Quinn ditched us for her toad of a boyfriend, so have fun doing —“ she motions around the room with a look of uninterest “— whatever this is.”

When Lizzie leaves the room completely, Josie lets out the breath she was holding and closes her bedroom door, resting her forehead against it for a brief moment as she gets her breathing under control. 

“That was close,” Hope says lightly, stepping out of the closet. 

“She’s my soon-to-be-aunt, Hope.”

The auburn haired girl pauses, unsure how to respond. She reaches for Josie and lets her hand settle on the other girl’s arm. 

“We’re going to be step-sisters in, what, a few days?” Josie asks, sighing.

“Five days,” Hope clarifies, moving closer so she can take Josie into her arms and hold her. She can feel the lie slide off her tongue easily, “But that doesn’t mean anything.”

Josie moves so her head is rested in the crook of the tribrid’s neck, hot breath hitting the soft skin there. 

“Maybe we go out on that date tonight. Dinner at Don’s Chinese Palace, we can walk around the park…”

Josie hums, pressing her lips into Hope’s neck before pulling away. “We have to look like friends,” her teeth grit at the last word. “Anyone could see us.”

Let them see us then, Hope thinks confidently. She nods instead, knowing that it’s not as simple in a small town like this, where a friend could see them. 

“Then we have our date at home. We’ll bring the food here, watch a movie,” Hope offers with a smile. “I’ll even set the table.”

Josie’s smile widens and she bites her lip, colour rising to her cheeks. “I can hold your hand.”


	9. i didn’t mean to make you cry

Hope noticed how frequently Josie would sneak away to the greenhouse in their backyard within the first few weeks that Caroline and her daughters moved in. After school, when she’d return from sparring with Alaric or studying in the library, she would cut through the backyard so she wouldn’t have to deal with any small talk with the blonde vampire. And each time, brown locks in the newly renovated greenhouse would catch her eye.

Sometimes Josie would have her ukulele in there, too, playing a soft melody and humming along as though the music thrummed through her. Hope would pause, suddenly no longer frustrated with whatever mundane issues were bugging her previously, enraptured with the brunette’s closed eyes and light smile.

Today felt like it did way back then — walking through the yard after a terrible day — before Josie’s voice caught her attention. School had been difficult, with Landon seeming to cause more harm than good even with Malivore gone, and she felt suffocated all day thinking about the wedding tomorrow. Alaric wouldn’t stop talking about it, how happy he was for Caroline and that he was nervous for the wedding. The first one any of the family has had since Stephan and Caroline’s. She couldn’t avoid it, couldn’t shake the feeling at the bottom of her stomach. The wedding was tomorrow and she and Josie would be sisters. 

But Josie was singing, albeit muffled by the glass walls of the greenhouse, and Hope felt like she could face all of it if Josie was by her side.

Hesitantly, Hope walks towards the door of the greenhouse, letting her hand hover for a moment to listen to the brunette one last time before interrupting her. She knocks quickly, swallowing down the nerves that seems to bubble up whenever she is around Josie.

She hears soft footsteps before she sees the witch, eyes locking with curious gazes. Hope smiles, lips curling at the corner with her non-famous smirk. “You look gorgeous.”

Josie snorts and rolls her eyes, pushing Hope’s shoulder with a laugh. “I’m wearing my pyjamas, Hope.”

“And?” The auburn haired girl quips, tilting her head to the side. She moves so that she and Josie are pressed against each other and can feel the taller girl’s breath against her cheek. Her hands move to rest on the siphon’s hips and bites her bottom lip teasingly. 

“My mom and Klaus are upstairs, Hope,” Josie murmurs, half-heartedly trying to turn the tribrid down. “Super hearing and all that.”

Hope pushes them forward, moving them into the greenhouse before closing the door behind them. “You’ve been good at being quiet, love.”

Josie sighs at that, relaxing into Hope’s arms. She knows that the brunette was just as stressed about tomorrow as she was, and there was nothing Hope wanted more than to cherish whatever moments she had with her girl. 

Hope moves them to the center of the greenhouse, momentarily looking around and admiring how well maintained Josie has kept it, considering how it was once an old, dusty shed. She has never actually been inside -- just stole glances of inside when she was watching Josie water the plants or read -- but now that she was, she understood the appeal of it. It had a natural warmth that felt soothing, and the greenery kept the air cleaner and smell fresher. She took a deep breath before letting her eyes fall back on Josie once again, getting lost in the golden flecks in her eyes that seemed to draw her in each time. 

“I missed you,” Hope admits. She takes another deep breath, ragged and uneven but calming nevertheless, and offers a weak smile. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

The witch blushes, ducking her head in embaressment and letting her chin settle on top of Hope’s head. “I missed you too, you sap. Maybe if we just stand here forever no one will notice we’ve disappeared.”

Hope smiles at that and looks up to Josie, letting their noses brush at the movement. She hears Josie’s content hum at the contact and cranes her neck up slightly so she can surprise Josie with a feather of a kiss, lips just barely brushing each other before Josie moves her head forward, deepening it and tangling her fingers in auburn locks. 

When they pull away, Hope barely has the awareness to mutter a silencing spell around the greenhouse before meeting Josie’s lips again, enjoying the taste of strawberry chapstick and ambition. Her legs move before her brain does, leading the two of them to a makeshift bench in the back of the greenhouse littered with cushions and blankets, tugging Josie down so the taller girl is straddling her lap, hands finding purchase under the brunette’s shirt. Her nails drag across Josie’s stomach and she feels Josie grind into her, moaning softly at the contact. She does it once more and watches when the brunette’s head falls back, arching into her hands and grinding harder this time.

Her hands pull the witch back into her and her mouth moves across Josie’s collarbone, pressing kisses and nips intermittently. 

Josie clears her throat, trying to speak out. Her voice gets lost when Hope’s fingers trail past the brunette’s waistband, eyes closing shut and goosebumps trailing her skin. She finally moves her hands so her fingers intertwine with Hope’s and she smiles, eyes fluttering closed with desire. “Babe,” she breathes out, “Let me show you how much you mean to me.”

Hope smiles — wide, genuine and unapologetic. It seems that these days Josie is the only person that can make her this happy, which has become a feeling she craves every day. She noticed not long ago that she’s began to seek the siphon out whenever she can, even just to talk, so that the warmth in her chest can linger for just a few more moments. 

The girl in question gets off of Hope’s lap in a swift motion only to drop to her knees afterward, hands resting on the auburn haired girl’s knees, eyes catching dark blue ones. Hope gives her permission by unbuttoning her jeans, thumbs tucking into her waistband and tugging them down to the bottom of her thighs, looking back to see the younger girl drinking her in. It makes Hope feel cared for, like the only person that matters in these moments is her. 

Brown eyes glint at the sight of bare skin and it feels much more intimate than their normal rendezvous, instead the heaviness in the air wraps around her like a blanket, the greenhouse becoming a safe place for the two of them.

Josie moves so she can tug Hope’s pants the rest of the way down to her ankles, hands coming back up to do the same with the lacey red panties. Her fingertips are cold and linger near Hope’s hips, a trail of goosebumps following their wake. 

Pale lips curl into a shy smile, tentative fingers making their way back to Hope’s knees, pulling her legs apart and exposing herself to the warm air. 

Hope’s left hand finds purchase in Josie’s hair and she lets out a content sigh, closing her eyes.

The moment is ruined completely when the door of the greenhouse swings open, Hope’s eyes flying open to see the blonde twin’s wide eyes in shock. Josie throws herself away from Hope, landing hard on her tailbone and scrambling to her feet at the same time the tribrid hastily pulls up her pants, face beet red with embarrassment. 

“What the ever living fuck is this?” Lizzie spits, her mouth ajar and face pale.

Hope watches Josie struggle with finding an excuse, but how they could cover this up, the auburn haired girl isn’t sure. She feels stranded — unsure how to help the situation and is instead stuck standing dumbly behind the taller siphon, her heart beating so hard she can hear it in her ears. 

“It’s… it’s nothing,” Josie explains lamely. Her hands shaking slightly. 

Hope wants nothing more than to reach forward and take Josie’s hands in her own to try and steady the taller girl.

Lizzie snorts, fuming. “It’s  _ nothing _ ?” She gestures between the two girls in front of her. “This is nothing?”

“I…” The brunette twin trails off. 

“How long has this been going on for?” Lizzie demands, her face contorting into a mix of disgust and frustration. 

“It hasn’t —“

“— just over a month.” Her voice feels rough and foreign. She watches as Josie turns to face her with a look of betrayal, pink lips twisting into a disappointed frown. Hope can feel her heart drop and tears threaten to spill from her eyes. She swallows it down, hard. “I started it. If you want anyone to blame, you can blame me.”

“Oh, I most certainly do,” Lizzie says, her voice rising as she takes a step towards the pair. “You  _ corrupted _ my sister.”

“She didn’t do anyth—“

“— I did,” Hope cuts off Josie again, trying to keep the brunette as innocent as possible. “I saw that she was available, and lonely, and attractive. I saw her and wanted her.”

Lizzie makes a gagging action and closes her eyes, shaking her head. “You are our step sister.”

“Not officially,” Hope answers back quickly. She blinks and feels a tear trail down her cheek.

“Officially  _ tomorrow _ .”

The brunette speaks quietly, her voice barely heard by the other two girls. “Please don’t tell mom.”

Hope decides that it would feel better to have her heart ripped out of her chest than listen to how defeated Josie sounds. 

Lizzie pauses, eyes softening at her sister’s solemn request. “I won’t until after the wedding. Only for you and mom.” Blue eyes flicker angrily back towards Hope. “Don’t think I’d do any of this for you.”

The auburn haired girl nods slowly in agreement, lips pursed in acceptance. She decided that this is the best it could go. The easiest thing to do now is just do whatever Lizzie says. “I know it’s not for me.”

She looks to Josie and sees red rimmed eyes, tears trailing down her cheeks and her lip quivering ever so slightly. All Hope wants to do is hold her. It's one of the only things she cannot.

“You’re coming with me,” Lizzie states, her finger pointed at her twin. “We need a serious chat.”

Josie lets out a stifled cry and nods, walking towards Lizzie until the blonde’s hand wraps around her wrist protectively to anchor her to her side. The brunette glances at Hope one last time before mouthing, “_I’m sorry_.” 

Hope swears this is what heartbreak feels like.


	10. maybe won't you take it back?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have no excuse i'm so sorry this is so late, life's been... wow. also the final chapter will be posted sometime either this week or the beginning of next week for sure.

She feels more alone than ever before, knowing that Josie has been actively avoiding her all morning. The chipper mood of both Caroline, Lizzie, and even her own father seems to only make her feel more miserable that she and Josie can’t share this day together. After yesterday afternoon’s altercation, Lizzie managed to get her brunette twin to avoid Hope like the black plague. The only time the hybrid saw Josie was later that evening during family dinner, where the brunette refused to make eye contact with her and they were both subjected to hearing about how perfectly planned the wedding was. 

Klaus left shortly after the dinner, opting to stay at the Mystic Falls Inn due to Caroline’s insistence of marriage traditions. She must have stayed in his arms for too long, however, because when she reluctantly pulled herself away her dad looked at her with questioning eyes, eyebrow quirked and grasp around her shoulders tighter. She shook her head, silently telling him she didn’t want to discuss anything at the moment, and he kissed her forehead in response before making his way into town.

Which leaves Hope here. Here being the bride’s quarters in the small chapel Caroline had decided on, sitting on the couch as she watched her soon-to-be mother getting her makeup touched up while the hybrid begrudgingly allowed the makeup artist to do the same to her. Her hands crossed over her chest and head tilted high while — Hera, she thinks her name is — applied blush to her cheeks. 

Josie and Lizzie were already dressed in their matching bridesmaids dresses, makeup and hair complete, helping order around the poor food and beverage vendors and organize the band properly. Distantly, Hope thinks that the blonde siphon would be a good wedding coordinator, with her bossy attitude and perfectionist personality. 

“You don’t seem excited,” Caroline says lightly, looking at Hope through the reflection of the large full-body mirror in front of her. Her hair is in multiple sized curlers and she’s still wearing her comfortable clothes, but looks stunning nevertheless. Her dad always knew how to pick the most genuine women. “Is it because of your mom, Hope? You know I never want you to think I’d ever dream of replacing her in any way.”

Hope tilts her head, taken aback slightly by the topic of her mom. While she and Caroline have talked about it before, it’s a heavy subject before a wedding, and thinking about her mom still leaves Hope in distress at times. “It’s… no, no it’s not my mom. And I know you have the best intentions, Ms. Forbes.”

The blonde gives Hope a pointed look and rolls her eyes. “I’m less than two hours away from marrying your dad and you still refuse to call me Caroline?”

“It’s respect,” Hope shrugs. Hera the makeup artist places blush on Hope’s nose and it nearly makes her sneeze, her nose crinkling. 

“It makes me feel super old,” Caroline retorts. “But don’t change the subject.”

The auburn haired girl huffs in defeat. Sometimes she forgets just how similar Caroline and Lizzie really are. “It’s not my mom, Caroline.”

The vampire makes a noncommittal hum in agreement and pauses. Hope nearly thinks she’s out in the clear, but also knows when something is in the blonde’s head, it’s nearly impossible to get it out.

“Then what’s been bugging you?” Caroline asks. Her hand moves to brush a piece of hair out of her face and her eyes land back on Hope’s, sending the younger girl into a small panic. 

“It’s nothing that matters,” Hope answers, mustering up all the confidence she can get to sound convincing. 

“Sounds like bullshit.”

Hope sputters, eyes wide. “It’s not bullshit.”

“Then it’s something,” Caroline responds quickly, her eyes narrowing at the hybrid.

Hope slides deeper into the couch in frustration. She wants to dislike how easily it is for the blonde to see right through her, hate it, really, but a part of her misses having talks like this with a mother figure and—

Fuck, Caroline is really bringing up all of the feelings the hybrid so carefully built walls around, isn’t she? 

“I met someone,” Hope confesses quietly. 

Hera takes two different lipsticks out of her makeup bag and holds them near Hope’s lips, comparing the colour and trying to decide which she prefers. It feels ridiculous sitting like this, getting her makeup done while confessing to who will soon be her step mom. 

“You did,” Caroline says, a small bit of surprise in her voice. She clears it non discreetly and continues to look at Hope expectantly. 

“We can never happen… officially.” Hope closes her eyes as Hera applies a dark shade of pink lipstick to Hope’s lips and it gives the auburn haired girl opportunity to sort her train of thought. “I wish we could, uh… happen, though. Like, officially.”

“But you and him can’t be official because…?” Caroline trails off, her eyes narrowing.

Him nearly echos in Hope’s head loud enough for her to be unable to focus on anything else. She assures herself that him is safer than clarifying for Caroline. “He’s a, uh, a close family friend, I guess. And it would be weird and I guess… wrong, in a way?”

The blonde vampire’s facial expressions soften, mouth pulling into a warm smile that soothes Hope’s anxieties slightly. “Hope, let me tell you something I had to learn the hard way.”

Hope nods, indicating Caroline to continue.

“I spent my entire time in high school trying to get the perfect guy. I was with, well, I don’t want to get into numbers, but I looked for the perfect guy pretty hard, y’know?” Caroline smiles to herself. “I met your dad and knew he was the least perfect guy out there. He was the bad guy in so many peoples’ stories — my best friends’ included — but he made me feel important. He made me feel like I was braver, and kinder, and prettier than I ever imagined.”

The auburn haired girl feels colour rush to her cheeks, hearing Caroline discuss her father with such fondness.

“But we didn’t work out right away. We had our fights, and our time away, and we found other people. But we always found our way back to each other,” Caroline sighs contently, her smile growing. “I’m not saying this guy has to be the guy. But if you found someone you love, that makes you feel like a better version of yourself, don’t let fear take that away from you. You deserve happiness, Hope.”

Hope nods again, momentarily at a loss for words. She smiles slightly to herself before she looks back up at Caroline. The vampire spins her chair around so that the two are face to face and she reaches outward to place a hand on Hope’s knee. “If you hesitate or don’t go after what you want, you’ll regret it.”

“I’ll regret it,” Hope murmurs in affirmation, trying to digest the conversation and mull things over in her head. 

“So who’s this guy? Anyone I know?” The blonde smiles, wide and expectantly, moving back into her chair and spinning it back towards the mirror in one fluid motion. 

Hope’s mouth goes dry and she takes a second to fumble with a response. “It’s uh, no, no one you know.”

“I know you’re lying,” Caroline admits coyly before sighing in disappointment. “But if you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. I’m sure I’ll figure it out soon enough.”

The auburn haired girl forces a smile and lets go of the tension in her shoulders the second that Hera tells her she’s free to get changed.

The dress is navy blue and strapless, flowing down to just above her knees. Her brunette hair is pinned with so many bobby pins and hair spray she thinks it may stay like this forever, but she also thinks she looks a little beautiful today, no matter how narcissistic it may sound. 

The ceremony is decorated in Caroline fashion; elegant white velvet and white roses, natural wood and greenery. Regardless of how frustrating the last twenty four hours have been for Josie, it’s hard not to feel happier surrounded by the excitement of a wedding.

“Josie.”

She spins around expecting another vendor with a thousand questions, or her sister anxiously ordering her to straighten the pews for the third time today, but she is instead face to face with Freya Mikaelson, dressed up appropriately for the wedding but a disapproving scowl on her face. 

“I… hi,” Josie extends her hand and the other woman takes it tentatively. 

“I assume you’re the reason Hope is nowhere to be seen, probably sulking in the women’s washroom?” Freya states.

The brunette tries not to act taken aback and confused, but the older woman rolls her eyes and indicates for Josie to follow her.

They walk outside of the chapel, Josie following Freya to the back of the white-bricked building cluelessly. Distantly, Josie notices how no one could see the duo from here.

“I don’t know what this is about,” the siphon admits when they stop far enough from the chapel to have a conversation freely. “I don’t control Hope.”

“Our family is full of strange relationships,” Freya begins, crossing her arms over her chest. “Do you not think Klaus would accept his daughter? That he would not want her to be happy? Why have my niece fall in love with you only to rip her heart to shreds?”

Josie’s jaw drops and her brows scrunch in confusion. “I what? You don’t think that today has been hell for me? I’ve been watching my mom get ready for weeks, happiest I’ve ever seen her, and I’m just going to walk up to her and ruin that?”

“Your mother has had her own fair share of odd relationships. She’s in no position to judge,” Freya answers quickly, jaw clenching.

For a moment, Josie seriously wonders if she’ll die like this — dressed up head to toe outside of a wedding chapel, murdered by an angry Mikaelson. With the way Freya’s eyes seem glazed over in an unsettling, somewhat nerving way, and how Josie’s heartbeat has quickened almost instinctively; Her fight or flight activating telling her to rid of the conflict as soon as possible… She thinks it’s all too large a possibility.

Josie’s moment of fear seems to dawn on the Mikaelson, however, because the older witch seems to relax slightly almost as an apology.

“Hope deserves the world.” Freya speaks carefully, like she’s thinking her words over as she says them.

For the first time in this quick, hot-headed conversation, Josie completely agrees. “She does.”

The blonde sighs loudly, dissipating the little frustration left between the two. “For some reason, unbeknownst to me, our little wolf picked you. I’ve never seen her like this. So… attached to someone who isn’t a Mikaelson — isn’t her family.”

The siphon stays quiet, certain that the older witch will continue. Her breath is caught in her throat and she feels completely unprepared to deal with the seriousness that comes with—

Being in love with Hope Mikaelson, Josie thinks.

“I understand that this is daunting. Our family is intense. I believe I proved that just a minute ago,” Freya explains. Her voice turns upwards almost like she’s trying to make a joke. “But you can’t be scared of people who don’t accept you and Hope. There’s so much love between you two that you can’t let it matter.”

Both witches turn when they hear someone clear their voice behind Josie. Hope stands in a dress the same colour as the brunette’s, her hair done carefully with a soft blush across her cheeks. Beside her, Caroline rests a careful hand on the auburn haired girl’s shoulder. With her wedding dress now on, Josie thinks her mom looks like a princess. 

“My room is literally right there,” Caroline explains hesitantly, gesturing with her free hand to the door beside her, only a few feet from Josie and Freya.

Josie’s mouth opens but shuts just as quick, not sure how to respond. Her chest feels heavy, like she’ll have to say goodbye to Hope again. Like they’ve both reached the inevitable ending of their story before it even really began. “Mom…”

“I’ve already talked to Hope about it,” Caroline quips, her lips turning upward into a kind smile before tilting her head towards her daughter. “You could’ve told me, sweetie. You didn’t have to worry about all of this alone.”

“I—“ Josie closes her eyes, trying to shake the feeling of all three women watching her. “I didn’t want to ruin things. I was so happy when you said you and Klaus were getting married and then Hope and I— I didn’t…” The brunette takes a wavering breath and opens her eyes, feeling her cheeks get warm with the familiar feeling of embarrassment and sadness.

“You didn’t think I’d want to see you be happy too?” Caroline asks. She takes the short few steps before she’s close enough to wrap her daughter up in her arms and she holds Josie close to her, sighing. “I know this isn’t conventional, I would be terrified in your position. But honey—“ the blonde pulls away slightly so she can look at Josie’s face “— I would never keep you away from someone that you love.”

The reception goes smoothly, which is unexpected considering the two parties getting married. But amazingly enough there were no bad guys with a vendetta in a bitter enough mood to sabotage a wedding. Josie watches happily when her mom and Klaus exchange vows, both excited and happy. They look young — like they are actually the age they’ll be stuck as forever — and proud of each other. It makes the brunette’s heart ache for the same sort of solace.

Instinctively she reaches slightly behind her, waiting until Hope’s warm, pale hand brushes up against it just so, comforting and secretive all together.

Josie’s eyes dart to the crowd. Most of them are looking at the happy couple, some with tears in their eyes and others with wide smiles. Her dad sits near the front, freshly shaved and in a well-fitted suit, eyes trained carefully on Caroline.

The siphon swallows harshly, trying to shake Josette, her biological mother, from her head. She can almost see it even though she wasn’t at that wedding. A bloody gown, a distraught groom, a screaming crowd.

Caroline and Klaus kiss and family cheer and whoop, some standing up to celebrate. The couple hold hands as they walk down the aisle and the tiny bit of anxiety that was left in Josie’s chest exits with a heavy exhale.


	11. you meant to say "i love you"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in all honesty, i had no idea how to end this story. i hope that this ending, though short, is satisfying.

** _4 years later._ **

Hope smiles softly to herself, so small it almost feels like a secret, as she moves the paintbrush in a fluid stroke along her canvas. 

Her heart beat thrums steadily and in these fleeting moments, she truly feels at peace. While the tribrid has always appreciated her large, protective family, along with her responsibility of protecting the Salvatore boarding school, opportunities to relax are rare. 

Her canvas murmurs something under her. “Love?” Josie asks, moving her head so she can see her fiancé from the corner of her eye.

Absent-mindedly, Hope hums in response, shifting so that she can reach over to the bedside table and collect the murky coloured water and slightly damp towel. 

“When do I get to see what you’ve been up to?” Josie’s hand reaches behind her and connects with Hope’s left hip, her fingers tracing over the skin just under the tribrid’s shirt ever-so-slightly.

The auburn haired girl smiles as she cleans her paint brush. “You have almost no patience, Jo.” She hears her fiancé scoff. “_ Besides _, I’m almost done. Ten minutes or so tops.”

Josie sighs and closes her eyes. “Don’t forget we have to start getting ready soon. Lizzie will kill us both if we’re late.” 

Hope hesitates before asking, “Will your dad be there?”

She feels the girl under her tense under her in response before answering. “No. I made my choice, he made his. If he wants to miss out on me growing up, that’s on him.”

“Have you heard from him since…?” The auburn haired girl trails off, but Josie knows what she’s talking about.

“Since I told him about us?” She finished sharply. “No.” Josie grumbles something under her breath before squeezing Hope’s hip that her hand is still resting on. “I love you. That’s all that matters.”

“I love you too, Jo.”

Josie sighs and relaxes back into the bed. One arm is angled in front of her so that she can rest her forehead in the crook of her elbow, the other stays on Hope’s hip. She squirms a little to get comfortable, her movement hindered by Hope straddling her from behind.

The auburn haired girl puts the water and towel back before dipping in a new colour of paint and resuming her work. “I want to take a few photos once we’re done,” she explains softly. She moves her left hand to the bedding beside Josie’s face and shifts her weight so that she can press a kiss into the siphoner’s shoulder without smudging her work. “You look so beautiful like this.”

“Hope,” Josie mumbles into the crook of her elbow, her voice upturned and embarrassed. She moves her head to the side again and turns her neck as much as it allows so she can see most of Hope’s face. She looks at the auburn haired girl expectantly, her cheeks flushed. 

Hope tilts her head with a teasing smile, biting her bottom lip to stop herself from grinning like a maniac. “Yes?” She responds, feigning indifference. 

The brunette groans and drops her head. “You’re such a tease.”

“I haven’t even done anything.”

“That’s the _ point _.”

Hope rolls her eyes, though she knows it doesn’t matter much because Josie can’t see her face right now. She leans forward again to press a feather-light kiss behind the brunette’s ear and then moves back to sit up. Her work is almost done, and she can almost sense Josie’s growing restlessness. 

Once she knows she’s done, she uses the little extra time to coat the inside of her hand with a thin layer of paint. Carefully, she places her hand just below the siphoner’s waist and squeezes slightly. Under her, the girl in question shudders.

“All done,” Hope states. 

She moves off of Josie and makes her way off the bed to collect her phone from her dresser. Josie moves as well, pushing herself up onto her knees and sitting back on her heels. She turns a bit so she can watch the tribrid move around the bedroom for a moment. Her arms move to the headrest so she can keep her balance while she rolls her head back and forth to stretch out the tight muscles there. She straightens her back to release the tension there as well and hears the _ click _ of a camera behind her. Josie can feel the colour rush to her cheeks.

She turns around quickly to see Hope holding her phone, a proud look on her face. “My best work yet.”

Josie swallows hard, face hot from the attention. She looks at the photo when Hope walks over to show her and the brunette quietly exclaims, “_ Oh _.”

Painted on her back is a wall from the greenhouse at her mother and Klaus’ estate, sturdy wooden shelves leading from the front to the back, the floor to the ceiling. On them are pots of various plants, wolfsbane and vervain, sage and witch hazel. The top rows hold the more mundane plants that Josie had favoured, such as ivy plants, burrow’s tails and crown of thorns. In the middle of it, painted in great detail, was Josie. She was squating in front of the plants. One hand held a watering can and the other held onto one of the shelves for balance. 

It looked startlingly realistic, much like the entirety of Hope’s work, all of which Josie had fallen in love with over the years. Her eyes catch Hope’s bright blue ones and the siphon smiles, showing her appreciation. “Hope, it’s beautiful.”

“_ You’re _beautiful,” the tribrid corrects humbly. She powers off the phone and puts it in her pocket in one smooth motion before moving her hands to cup Josie’s face. “Have I mentioned how lucky I am?”

Josie’s nose crinkles and she smiles widely. “You’ve mentioned once or twice, I think,” she jokes, shrugging non committedly. 

“I’ll have to say it more often than.” Hope presses a kiss onto the crown of Josie’s head first before ducking down and catching the brunette’s lips with her own, tender and soft and everything Hope can offer the brunette. 

Distantly, Hope thinks about how her father described falling in love with Caroline all those years ago. Before her, and Josie, and the Salvatore school. He remembers him explaining that as soon as he met Caroline, he decided he wanted to be a better man. Someone that she deserved and could love proudly.

Hope rests her head on Josie’s and hears the brunette’s steady breathing.

She thanks whatever gods that listen, because she understands her father completely. It feels as though she was built for this -- built to love Josie Saltzman -- and it makes her feel exhilarating yet safe at the same time. She swears that if she could live in this moment forever, ignore the responsibilities they both have made and stay in what feels like this happy ending for the rest of their lives, Hope would be the happiest woman in the entire world. 

When she moves her hands away, there's a handprint of paint on Josie's left cheek, and Hope laughs unabashedly. Josie's brows furrow in confusion, but Hope kisses her again and again until Josie is smiling too.


End file.
